Homunculus, He Wrote
by OukamiYasha
Summary: Yaoi: EnvyEd. Envy sets out on a seduction-based mission to disprove an accusation, but the journey doesn't turn out the way he thought it would...angst in later chapters.
1. Default Chapter

**_Homunculus, He Wrote_**

**Why Envy/Ed? Because I like it. I'll admit, I don't think Envy and Ed hooking up would happen in the actual series unless things went horribly, horribly wrong, but then again, I don't see Ed hooking up with Roy, either, or even Winry. He's a single kind of guy. PBut I have a fierce obsession with Envy, I lub that cute lil shrimp of an alchemist, and I find the way those two interact with each other interesting. I wrote this because I couldn't find nearly enough consensual Envy/Ed fics...**

**If you must flame, flame because of my horrible writing skillz. Don't flame because I put Envy and Ed together. I've already warned you about a million times...and you still have a chance to turn back.**

**Also, some notes. I've only seen up to episode 20-something of Full Metal Alchemist, so I have no clue where this fic is set. It's just a made-up thing...as...uh...all fanfics are. Yeah...'cuz I doubt Greed would be calmly sitting in a room with the rest of the homunculi. Anyways, enjoy.**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Full Metal Alchemist, or anything encompassing it...gasp, sob_**

* * *

"Envy, you're a damn ugly bitch and no one could ever want you."

Envy's head snapped up and violet eyes stared, wide with anger-coated shock, at Greed. His brother grinned lazily, dark brows arching above glass-covered eyes. "Well, it's the truth. What do you think, Lust?"

Lust didn't bother looking up. She kept her arms crossed beneath her ample chest, face turned slightly down, eyes closed, and said nothing. She did not want any involvement in this. Faintly, she wondered how a perfectly innocent discussion about past lives could have culminated into a derogatory accusation toward someone who hadn't even been taking part in the conversation in the first place. Greed probably meant to humiliate Envy. What was usually not an easy task had become a bit more smooth by the fact that six out of the seven Sins were currently gathered in one now tension-charged room. Only Pride was missing, but that was nothing new; he was often away, keeping up apperances.

Greed gave up on Lust and focused back on Envy. "See, she agrees with me. What do you think of that?"

Envy scowled in Greed's direction.

"I think it makes you a bastard," the doppelganger replied in a surly tone.

"Oh, come on, Envy. Me, well, all the women flock to me, love me...and how could they not? But you...I doubt that anyone has thought of you in that way. Can't blame them, can you? Who'd want an ill-looking palm tree?"

Envy's frown deepened. He had heard_that_ insult one time too many. He would have liked to shove those pointed teeth down Greed's obnoxious throat, but for now he was in too despondant a mood, so he simply looked away again, hunched over on the back of the couch, elbow on knee and chin resting against black-clad knuckles.

The taller homunculus kept his amused, bespectacled eyes upon his elder brother. "True, you could transform into someone gorgeous, but would anyone want you in_that_ form?" he barked a laugh, "or your true form?"

Greed was rewarded with a dark glower from the opposing side as the Sin in question hopped down from his perch while growling a particularly vulgar word, then threw the door open, storming out of the room and down the hall of Dante's manor. Greed grinned again, looking toward the unconcerned figures of Lust and Sloth, Gluttony, who was pawing at Lust's high heels, and Wrath, who was looking almost worriedly at the doorway. Greed's raceous laughter followed Envy down the hallway.

"If he's gone on a quest to find someone who actually likes him, he'll _never _be back!"

* * *

The life of a homunculus was a complex one, despite what it may have seemed to humankind. Memories of a former existence were whisked and beaten into the consciousness of a creature that was never meant to be. Confusion was commonplace in the homunculi mind, and behavior patterns were sometimes inconsistant, more so with the younger ones. What was wanted was known, but doubt hovered over it, a haze in the mind and a tug on the chest.

Envy was the oldest, thus, his behavior was mainly consistent. Was he a cruel, psychotic monster? Yes. But he could always be counted on as being a cruel, psychotic monster. He supposed that's what Dante and the others sometimes depended on.

The disgruntled homunculus took to his new perch on a tree a few yards away from the forest. He looked over the countryside, at the blue-washed greens of land and the orange, pink-tinged evening sky, a rare beauty that was totally lost on the Sin, as his mind was steeped in thought.

Mostly about how Greed was a bastard.

And about Greed's words, which had struck something deep within his mind. Envy somehow found everything that he said hard to disregard. He reasoned that it was because he hated Greed so much. It was the only explanation he could come up with.

Envy wasn't humble; he_knew_ that he was superior to his homunculus siblings, humankind and...well, everything in general. He had always focused on having the upper hand, and he had it. Maybe not in comparison to Oblivion or The Gate, but no one had that. But while lacking in modesty, his ego wasn't as gargantuan as everyone assumed. Any insult toward his appearance deeply offended him. He was attractive now, wasn't he? So why should the insults continue?

Envy's thin, white fingers dug into the black material of his gloves. He hated Greed. He'd prove Greed wrong. He'd put that bastard in his place. But how...?

He'd seduce someone. Now who?

Who'd be the hardest to seduce? Someone so incredibly resistant to those types of advances that it'd prove a challenge? Who would he enjoy toying with then dumping aside like a worn rag?

He could cast out the middleman and choose Greed as his victim, but the thought of that made Envy shudder. Besides, thesharp-toothed Sinwore down his patience far too easily.

A wicked grin came to Envy's lips as a sudden idea struck him. How about someone he wanted to cause damage to, physical and/or emotional...someone he wasn't allowed to kill just yet? He whispered gleefully.

"O'Chibi."

* * *

"Al, not another kitten!" Edward Elric groaned as he noticed the furry face poking out of the dark crevice between his brother's helmet and spiked shoulders.

"But Brother, it'll be night soon, and it will be cold!" Al's whines resonated sharply inside the armor.

"It's covered with fur, it'll be fine!" the alchemist groaned, putting a hand to his head as his boots plodded rather more heavily than needed on the cobblestoned Central street. The two had just come back from investigating strange goings-on in a nowhere town south of Central. It had been such a podunk place that not even trains ran there, and while the brothers had managed a carriage ride on the way, the journey back had been nothing but walking.

"Nii-san..." Alphonse said softly, his voice accompanied by a contented mewl from the kitten.

"I can't believe that it was just a wolf killing those sheep and not a chimera like everyone thought," Edward sighed, changing the subject and thus giving up on his valient fight against Al and the kitten. Right now he was far too exhausted to argue.

"It was a kind of deformed-looking wolf, though..." the younger brother said, for once happy to note the defeated tone of Edward's voice.

"Yeah, yeah," the alchemist managed to wave a drooping hand in tired disconcern while his eyelids lowered heavily. Alphonse had to pull Edward to the side as the older boy almost walked into a street lamp outside Central Headquarters. "Thanks, Al..." he mumbled, then traipsed inside, feet dragging over the carpeted lobby floor. After what seemed like forever, Edward reached the office of Roy Mustang.

Usually, when one wants to announce their prescence before entering a door, one will knock.

Unless one is a bantam, dog-tired State Alchemist. In which case, one will collapse against the door, thereby swinging it open, thus falling in the middle of the floor in front of a mildly surprised, black-haired man.

Alphonse ran over to his brother and lifted him up, noting that he was quite obviously asleep. The metal helmet turned to look at the military man, whose surprise had evaporated into unconcerned nonchalance, as if he expected something like that from Edward.

Which he did.

"Check into the temporary housing quarters, Alphonse. I've already set up a room for you two there," Roy said in a bored tone while leafing through a report. The armor stared a moment or two, always amazed at the casualty in Mustang's voice, then nodded.

"Yes sir," he bowed slightly and lifted Edward up in his arms. The kitten reached out a tiny paw, flicking its black pad against the single, stubborn piece of hair that Ed could never seem to get to stay down.

"Oh, and Alphonse?"

"Yes sir?"

"Have him report to me tomorrow when he wakes up."

"Right, sir. Oh...um...is it all right i--"

"The cat can stay with you in the housing quarters as long as you take care of it."

"Thank you, sir. And--"

"Yes, I know Full Metal will be hungry when he wakes up, but he knows where the cafeteria is."

"Oka--"

"And if he pulls one of those faces, tell him that the food isn't nearly as bad as it could be."

"Uh--"

"You should get going now."

"Y-yeah..." if Alphonse could blink, he would have by now. Several times, in fact. But, lacking eyelids, he couldn't, so he backed out of Mustang's office and headed toward the housing quarters.

* * *

Alphonse Elric set his brother gently on the crisp, white sheets of the bed, then stood to his full height, an armored hand to the back of his head. Overall, Alphonse like the housing quarters of Central Headquarters. They were temporary living places designed to accomodate travelling members of the military. Al found them nice, tidy places, though they were rather small. He supposed they were only small to him, since they seemed to suit his older brother perfectly, though he often complained about the lack of food-filled pantries. Giggling softly, he tiptoed out the bedroom as best he could and shut the door, walking into the small living room and sitting on the floor next to the couch.

Al unhooked his helmet and allowed the tiny kitten to crawl out, cradling it in one hand as he relatched his head. He slowly stroked its downy-looking fur, wishing painfully that he could feel its softness.

_'In time...'_ he thought, as he watched the kitten close its eyes and curl up in the hard leather palms of his hands. _'In time...'_

* * *

Edward moaned softly as he sensed something gently carressing his bared chest. At the same time, he vaguely felt a heaviness on his legs...as if something was sitting on them.

_'What's going on...?'_

_ 'Must be a dream...'_

_'Mmm...a nice dream...'_

But as he felt his hands being pinned above his head and he heard the whisper of his name in an all-too-familiar voice, he realized that something wasn't right. His eyes cracked open, his mind steeped in exhaustion as he peered wearily into the early morning darkness that invaded the room.

There was definitely something there.

But what? He froze, muscles tensing as he widened his eyes further, hoping yet fearing to see whatever was on him...whatever had removed his jacket and two shirts and was now touching his chest...the gentle ministrations had felt good when he thought it was a dream, but since they were now real, he was paralyzed with fear.

Suddenly, and with heart-stopping horror, he saw who was perched on his legs.

The slender, pale body winding above his own.

The long, dark hair that brushed against his skin.

The eyes, glinting like a cat's from the meager light that filtered in from the window.

Envy.

At first Edward didn't quite know what to do. He had never woken to any of his enemies sitting on his legs and stroking him. Edward's mind went in several places, all in different phases of distress and panic.

_ Envy..._

_ On me..._

_ Does that rhyme?_

_ Wait..._

_ OH GOD, THAT'S ENVY!_

_ I thought we already established that._

_ ENVY!_

_ Yes, Envy. He's your enemy, and he's sitting on you. Deal with him._

_ DEAL!_

_ DEAL EQUALS KILL!_

_ KILL HIM!_

_ KILL HIM NOW!_

The alchemist's metal kneecap caught the Sin in the stomach, and as Envy's thin hands unwound from around Ed's wrists, an Automail fist slammed into Envy's cheek, knocking him off Ed and onto the boy's discarded jacket and shirts. A flash of blue light briefly illuminated the room and Edward leapt from the bed, planted his feet firmly onto the floor, the blade extended from his right arm pointed at Envy and ready to draw some homunculus blood.

Edward lunged forward and Envy rolled aside, tripping the alchemist with a simple flick of his foot and catching him, slim arms winding around him. Envy stroked Edward's braided hair with one hand, the other latched firmly to Ed's waist.

"Wassamatter, O'Chibi-chan?" the Sin purred, rolling on top of Ed and pinning him down. "Don't like my company?"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Edward roared, struggling against the inhuman strength of the homunculus.

"Just thought I'd drop by," Envy answered with the barest hint of a shrug. He leant down and brushed his cheek against Ed's, whispering in his ear, "We haven't seen each other in so long, after all..."

"THAT'S BECAUSE WE HATE EACH OTHER!" the alchemist thrashed wildly against the thin body on top of him. "WHAT ARE YOU--agh!" Edward's eyes suddenly went wide as he felt Envy's hands gently knead the skin on his chest. "W-what are you...STOP THAT!"

Edward was relieved as the bedroom door was suddenly thrown open and light from the living room poured in, silhouetting the huge metal form of Alphonse.

"Nii-san! What's--" the armor finally realized that his brother was not on the bed where he left him. It took a few more moments to process the fact that his big brother Edward was now laying on the floor with a dangerous homunculus straddling his waist. "Envy?"

"Oi, Elric," the Sin answered, leaning back away from Edward, hands resting on Edward's arms. "How's it goin?"

"Uh..." Al, everyone agreed, did not frequently jump the gun as Ed did. Envy seemed to be acting perfectly civil, even if he_was_ perched on the hips of a horrified-looking Edward. Therefore, though he _did_ take a fighting stance, Alphonse did _not _shove his foot into Envy's stomach, much to Edward's disappointment. "Good...I guess...um...why are you sitting on my brother?"

"Oh, that," Envy grinned cheerfully and stood up. The interruption of the younger Elric boy was not a problem in his mind. In fact, he had counted on it. It would be hard, but he would have to be kind to O'Chibi's little...well, big...sibling. Envy knew how deeply Edward loved Alphonse...if he were to do something to endanger, or even upset, the younger boy, his chances in seducing Ed would be shot, no matter what. "I was just in the neighborhood, so..."

"SO!" Edward jumped to his feet, hastily shoving his arms through his tank top, and staring up at Envy with a comically terrified scowl. "SO, YOU WERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU JUST DECIDED TO DROP BY AND UNDRESS ME!"

"I left your pants on," Envy pointed out.

"Wha...RAAAUGGGH!" Edward lunged toward Envy, who jumped backwards onto the windowsill, his pale body tinged blue by moonlight and framed by the gauzy, wind-blown curtains.

"Don't be so sore about it, O'Chibi. Tell ya what, next time I'll warn you_ beforehand_ that I'm going to undress you," he said with a toothy grin. Edward stared at him, baffled.

_ Is he joking?_

_ He has to be!_

The Sin shot Alphonse a surprisingly polite smile. "Keep your brother under control, Elric. Really," and with that, he backflipped out the open window, disappearing into the darkness.

Edward ran to the window and peered out, clutching the sill so hard that the wood under his right hand began to splinter. Alphonse looked down at his brother.

"What do you think that was all about?" he asked. Edward clenched his eyes shut and shuddered in disgust.

"I don't even wanna know."

* * *

**_And so ends chapter one. Love me, hate me...comment, flame me..._**


	2. Charge

**Chapter Two: Charge**

**Disclaimer: Do I own Full Metal Alchemist? No. But I do own a bra that doesn't fit. Too much information? Yes. But it does explain my discomfort.**

**I'm happy that you guys like this story so much! Sorry it took so long to post the second chapter, but I've been on vacation in Florida. And guess what, I'm still there! Whee! Sunshine! Oranges! Retirees!**

**This chapter probably isn't any good because it's hard to concentrate while on vacation...but I tried...**

* * *

Edward stared into the mirror at his own ashen, disbelieving face. The events of the night before had not escaped the alchemist's troubled mind, and he hadn't slept one bit afterwords. He doubted that he had even blinked. Now, as sunlight illuminated the windowed rooms and the jovial chirping of birds rang throughout the housing quarters, Ed's mind was still asking Envy-related questions.

_Why _had Envy been there?

What had he been doing? Besides the obvious, of course...

The boy wasn't sure, but he knew one thing; Envy had been up to no good.

How did he know this?

He knew, from particularly excruciating experience, that the obsedian-haired homunculus was _never_ up to any good. Edward might have been uncompromising, but there was one thing that he, even with his stubborness, admitted to himself. He was afraid of Envy. Afraid of those wicked, gleaming eyes and that psychotic, wide grin, of the way Envy's lean muscles were constantly tensed, as if he was ready to spring into action and kill at any given moment...but just because he admitted that to himself did not necessarily mean he had to admit it to anyone else.

That was the main reason why Ed found it hard to disregard what had happened. If he had possession of documents, written and signed in triplicate with Envy's blood, stating that the homunculus would _never_ come back and disturb him again, he _might_ have been a little less paranoid than he was now.

Unfortunately, such documents were nonexistant.

Edward plodded out the bathroom, glancing skittishly about the sun-lit quarters. Alphonse looked up at him from his crouching position over the kitten, which was lapping at a tiny saucer of milk.

"Nii-san? You still don't look well. Maybe you should rest a while longer before you report to the Colonel."

"No, Al..." Edward muttered, snatching his jacket from the back of a chair and stuffing his arms into the long sleeves. "If I don't leave now, I'll never go. Besides, I'm starved, and Mustang's office is on the way to the cafeteria."

"Would you like me to go with you?"

Edward put his hands into his pockets and looked up as Alphonse stood. He was tempted to say yes due to the circumstances of the previous night, but he didn't want to inconvienice his brother just because Envy seemed to have eaten something containing far too many aphrodisiacs.

"Nah, Al. I'll be back soon, anyway. It shouldn't take long," he strode to the door and opened it, but stopped in his tracks as the soft voice of his brother called behind him.

"Nii-san..."

Edward looked over his shoulder at Alphonse. Even without the distress in his little brother's voice, he could tell something was wrong. Whenever Al was worried, his helmet would tilt up and back slightly, and those red phantoms of pupils would stare down in unblinking concern.

"Al?"

"If you want me to go with you, I will. Envy scares me too."

Edward's hand dropped from the doorknob as he turned completely around, using his foot to stop the door from shutting completely. His golden eyes shone up at the armor before closing above a rather haughty smirk.

"Oh, c'mon, Al! I'm not afraid of that gender-confused anorexic and you shouldn't be either! I'll be back soon, okay?"

Without waiting for a reply, the elder Elric cantered away, leaving behind a sighing suit of armor and one happy, milk-nourished kitten.

"I really don't know what to do with him..."

* * *

Edward felt much more at ease striding through the hallways of Central Headquarters. Dozens of guards were stationed in and around the complex, and several military personel travelled leisurely near him, popping in and out of different offices. Edward almost grinned triumphantly, silently daring the currently absent Envy to show up amid a horde of soldiers and State Alchemists.

Edward reached Roy Mustang's office and shoved open the door. Upon entering, he saw Colonel Mustang holding up a report, dark eyes focused solely on the typed letters, his right hand grasping a pencil and scratching down something on a piece of paper. It was a familiar sight that meant one of two things.

One: The Colonel was completely absorbed with his work and therefore horribly ill-humored when bothered by someone. Or...

Two: He was authorizing a mission.

And guess who it was that was usually sent on those missions. Confirming Ed's gut feeling, Mustang spoke one word.

"Demorest."

"You want me to give you a example of how to sleep?"

Mustang slapped down the report and stared at Edward with an even but unmistakably annoyed expression, one that very clearly sent the message, _'Don't play stupid with me, Full Metal.'_

"It's a town to the northeast. Lately there have been some odd happenings there."

Edward flopped down on the couch that sat against the wall, still exhausted. He had only recieved about three hours of sleep, as the...incident...had kept him up.

"Are you sure it's not another deformed wolf?" he asked, glaring in Mustang's direction. The peeved Colonel returned the look with calm ferocity.

"Quite sure, Edward," he answered, pushing forward the stack of papers, indicating for Edward to read them. Sighing heavily, the blond leaned forward and snatched the report off the man's desk, then began to leaf through it, eyes scanning over the small black letters.

"Chimeras?" Edward gave the report a dirty look, "So it _is_ another deformed w--" he paused, noticing a photo stapled at the bottom of the last sheet of paper in the report.

His mouth opened wordlessly.

It was a picture of a monstrous chimera that was clearly deceased, though Edward was sure it had been as repulsive in life as it was in death. The tortured creature seemed to be a poorly made cross between a gargantuan alligator and what was probably a lame and very sick horse.

"As you see, Edward, it is not a deformed wolf," Mustang swiveled in his chair a bit, gazing sideways out the window, fingers linked together in front of his mouth. Edward let the papers in front of the photo fall back into place, then he set the report to the side.

"So you want me to investigate the place and find out what's going on, right?"

"You've got it," Mustang moved his hands and gave Edward a small, enigmatic smile. "And once you find out what's happening, I assume you'll take care of it."

Ed sighed and stood, hefting the report up again and waving it loosely.

"Yeah, yeah," he stretched, "Guess I don't have much of a choice anyway."

"Good. A train leaves from here to Demorest in about forty-five minutes. That should give you enough time to collect your things, get to the station and get situated. Be sure to look over that report."

Edward grumbled something and put his free hand to his stomach, which gurgled loudly.

_'Guess breakfast will have to wait till we're on the train...'_ he thought glumly. But as he strode out of Mustang's office and down the hall, a sudden wave of optimism crashed into his mind, flooding his tense body with soothing relief.

They were leaving! _He_ was leaving! He was off to an Envy-less town! Now, he wouldn't have to jump at every shadow. Unless...

His gait lessened and he eventually stopped, staring absently beyond his shoulder to the papers clutched in his gloved hand.

...unless Envy followed. Ed felt the elation begin to drain away like bath water after someone had pulled the plug.

But...surely Envy wouldn't follow. He had probably visited last night just to toy with Edward. Suddenly, the alchemist laughed loudly, making several soldiers jump and stare.

Of course that was it! The homunculus had only wanted to mess with him! This was his idea all along! To get Edward all jittery over nothing!

_'Well,_' Edward thought smugly, lips curling into an arrogant grin, _'it's not working now, is it_!'

Once again feeling self-assured and optimistic, he ambled off.

* * *

Envy lounged with his back against the rugged bark of a thick tree overlooking the Central military housing quarters. His violet gaze met the cream-white complex and below them a slow smile spread. Phase One, as he liked to call it, had worked out pretty well. He had more or less expected the midget to react the way he did.

Envy wasn't a moron, after all. He knew it'd take more than a ten-minute fondling session to seduce the vigilent alchemist. A lot more. But the homunculus had all the time in the world.

Still, the horrified look on Edward's face had been absolutely priceless. And, as everyone knew, Ed's discomfort was Envy's delight. And he'd get to show that idiot Greed that he _was_ wanted. Two bastard birds with one stone.

A sudden movement from below caught Envy's attention. Crourching on the pads of his toes, he peered over his tree limb perch. His feline eyes took in a flash of red and the shine of metal. Envy grinned. Time for Phase Two.

* * *

Edward had forgotten about the kitten. He was quickly reminded halfway through the train ride by the calico tail that had suddenly flicked out of his brother's left eye.

It was a frightening reminder that saw the mighty Full Metal Alchemist shrieking and somehow jumping up into the luggage rack. Luckily, as Alphonse had so teasingly pointed out, the car was empty except for the two of them and a unshaven, middle-aged man asleep near the front,a brown hat tipped over his face. It was no surprise that there were only three on the way to Demorest.

Especially, Edward noted, after reading what was in the report. But, despite the fact that they were fast approaching a chimera-infested town, they were having a pleasant ride.

Envy was enjoying the trip as well. He smirked slightly, in high spirits over what was to come, then settled down further and pulled his brown hat over his eyes.

* * *

**Hope ya liked it. It was longer than the other, I think, but nowhere near as funny...eh, more hilarity later. And I'll be gone for quite a long time, but I'll try to continue writing...just don't expect the next chapter any time soon! Love ya!**


	3. Synthetic Sycophant

Chapter Three: Synthetic Sycophant

**O.o; I named my grandmother's kitten Alphonse...and I just got finished playing the second Full Metal Alchemist game. OO; IT ROCKED, PEOPLE! Especially since it had Envy at the end...go buy it! NOW!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own FMA...**

* * *

"Ah, Demorest at last!" Edward stretched his arms toward the darkening pink sky as Alphonse clanked up behind him, a suitcase in one hand, the other gently holding the tiny kitten against his breastplate. 

The town, from the view aboard the train platform, gave off all implications of being a community ransacked by monsters. Though currently, there were no chimeras in sight, chaos was more than hinted at judging by the bricks and other debris scattering about the dirty streets, and the fact that while only three people had been on their way _too _the town, there were twenty-three now boarding the train to get _out._

"Hey, watch it!" Edward scowled as a rather corpulent, anxious-looking man practically steamrolled into him.

"Nii-san, he's just in a hurry to leave..." Alphonse cooed in a soothing voice, trying his best to put out the metaphorical fire before it consumed the forest that was his older brother's better judgment.

"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean he has to smash into me like that!" the blonde twirled around angrily, waving a fist in the air. "HEAR ME, GRAMPS! GET BACK HERE AND--"

"Hm," Alphonse mused as the last compartment door slammed shut before Ed could finish and the train lurched forward, "They boarded all those people pretty quickly...and the train is leaving already. It's because of the chimeras, don't you think?"

"WHO CARES WHY, AL!" Edward scowled at the departing train, "THAT BASTARD JUST SLAMMED INTO ME--"

"It'll be okay, Nii-san. The bad man is gone and he won't bother you again..." Alphonse said, not seeming to be able to hide the amusement in his voice. Edward heard it plainly and turned his frown toward his brother. He opened his mouth to say something, but was once again cut off by Alphonse. "I wonder where that man went...you know, the one who was on the train with us."

"Probably got trampled by that overweight idiot on his way out," Edward growled, jerking his head to the side and staring at the pathetic town that lay before him.

"Come on, Ed..." Alphonse sighed, letting the kitten clamber onto the top ridge of his breastplate, "We'd better go ahead and check into an inn. It's probably harder to face the chimeras at nighttime."

"Yeah, yeah..."

* * *

The two alchemists trudged through the ugly streets, oppressed by the overwhelming sense of ruin the bereaved town emanated. There were no people out, no animals...though every once and a while the skeleton of what was once a household pet could be seen grinning pitilessly from a throne on top of a rubbish heap. All the buildings had some type of damage done to them, and on the ground in front of the houses lay now useless picket fences. 

"Nii-san, this place gives me the creeps...are you sure anyone is even here?" Al squeaked, protectively cradling his kitten as he sidestepped the yellow skull of a cat.

"Yeah...the report said--" the older brother suddenly stopped, eyes narrowed in suspicion, "...there's definitely someone here, Al. We're being followed."

"B-By who? Or what? D-do you think it's a chimera, brother?" Al quit walking and stood rigidly.

"I dunno...but if it is a chimera, it's gonna have to face me!" Edward shouted, shoving his hands together. With a loud clapping sound and blue-white flashes of alchemic light, he created from the Automail arm his signature handblade. With his arm raised and ready, he wheeled around and lunged toward the offending presence.

Had it been a chimera, he would have executed the attack with full force. If it had been a perfectly innocent creature, human or otherwise, he would have abruptly stopped.

Unfortunately, it was neither a chimera, nor a perfectly innocent creature, for the thing he had turned on heel to attack (or not attack) was a homunculus, and a particularly wicked one at that.

Seeing as Edward's brilliant plan of "attack or not" was now caught at a crossroads, his subconscious ordered him to do a mixture of the two. Thus, his Automail leg tried to skid to a stop while the other took one giant step forward, and his handblade managed to waggle furiously under Envy's nose for a second before the alchemist fell flat on the ground, bringing up a large cloud of dust.

Alphonse stared at his brother, the suitcase slipping from his grip. Envy looked down with raised eyebrows at the wriggling and very confused elder Elric.

"GRAAAAAH!" Edward screamed, jumping to his feet and pointing the handblade at Envy, trying his best to be threatening though he was covered with dirt and blushing fiercely from the self-inflicted shot to his pride.

Envy slapped Ed's hand away calmly and grinned at him, quite amused.

"You don't have very good balance, do you, O'Chibi?" he asked, putting one hand to his hip, the other hanging by his side.

"W-what the...WHAT'S THAT GOT TO DO WITH ANYTHING?" Edward yelled, his blush intensifying as he remembered what happened the last time he had a meeting with Envy.

"Just an observation..." Envy remarked, his feline eyes regarding Edward coolly.

"Wha-- ...observation! You monster, what the hell do you want!"

Envy feigned a look of complete dejection, and however much of a mockery it was, that could not change the fact that the homunculus was an excellent actor, making the facade look real enough to give Edward at least a tiny sense of contrition.

The alchemist, however, knew who he was dealing with, and quickly got over it. His kind-hearted brother, though, did not seem to feel the same way.

"Um, I think Nii-san just wants to know why you've been showing up so much lately," Alphonse piped up. Envy shot him a smile.

"Now now, I've only shown up twice as of late! That's not a lot, really," he grinned toward Edward and purred, "is it, O'Chibi-chan?"

"Ju...you...B-BASTARD!" Ed shrieked.

He had originally meant to yell at Envy to go away, but "bastard" fit the Homunclus far too well for it to go unsaid. Plus, it was one of Edward's favorite words.

As if to back up his claim that Envy was indeed a bastard, he slapped his palms together and grabbed a large piece of stone, instantly transmuting it into a halberd, which he pointed with defiance at Envy.

"For me?" the Homunculus asked.

"Wha?"

Before Edward even knew what hit him, the halberd was snatched away by Envy's eager hands.

"Why, thank you, O'Chibi!" Envy said as he cuddled up against the halberd, "You know how much I like weapons...what a sweet gift."

"Wha...RAAAAAUGH! THAT WASN'T A GIFT! I WAS GONNA USE IT TO KICK YOUR ASS!"

"I can't see how you could use a halberd to kick somebody, but you're more than welcome to try," Envy's white teeth flashed in a wide, coy grin that Edward, who was trembling violently with anger, embarrassment, and fear, found unbearable.

"I don't know why you've been following us, but just leave us alone!"

The attack came too quickly for Envy, even with his acrobatic skill, to dodge. With a flash of light, the ground came roaring up and slammed down upon the Homunculus, debris from ruined buildings, skeletons, and tons of rock and dirt smashing unto his fragile-looking body.

Pain seared through his flesh and seeped into his bones, the type of pain he couldn't bear. Light was no more, it was only darkness and the sound of loose pebbles clicking onto broader surfaces. Suddenly, a familiar relief flooded through Envy's being as his body inevitably healed itself. His muscles coiled and loosened as he shot up with force and flung off the offending rubble with his inhuman strength, just in time to see the pipsqueak of an alchemist and his lumbering younger brother enter a ransacked inn.

Envy fumed. He hated the Elrics with a passion, maybe even as much as he hated Greed, or hated pain. He would have loved to off them as soon as he got the chance, but that was not allowed. Not yet...the Edward idiot was going to be of use to him, he was going to prove a point using that shrimp! He wouldn't give up. Still, it was hard for the Homunculus to calm down. Trying to find the patience he had used for so long, he strode forward.

* * *

"Can you believe that guy!" Edward yelled loud enough to attract the attention of all the worn-down customers at the inn, "because I can't!" 

"Um...Nii-san--"

"What the hell does he think he's doing, following us to this stupid town!"

"Nii-san..?"

"He's up to something, Al, I just know it! But I won't let him get away with whatever he's gonna do, oh no! I'll stop him! I'LL STOP THAT BASTARD!"

"Brother!" Alphonse set down the kitten and suitcase and grabbed Edward by the shoulders before the rant could get out of hand, " You're scaring the townspeople!"

"I'LL...eh?" Edward glanced about, looking into the weary eyes of Demorest citizens, who were clearly worried that, on top of chimeras destroying their town, they would now have to put up with a short, blond lunatic. "I...er...sorry. Um...Al, you watch the kitten...I'll go pay..." he mumbled, turning toward the counter where the inn's manager watched him warily from under bushy, grey eyebrows.

"How much for one of your rooms for a night? I don't know how long we'll be staying..."

"Four hundred," the man replied gruffly.

"Er, right," Edward took out his wallet and leafed through it until he gathered the appropriate sum of money, which he set on the counter. "This should do it..."

Out of the corner of Edward's eye, to his horror,he saw a black-gloved hand slap the same amount of cash onto the counter, and an all-too-familiar voice said...

"Get me a room, too."

"Wha--Y-YOU! WHY!" Edward screamed. Envy raised his eyebrows, looking at Edward as if he had never set eyes on him before.

"Well, I need somewhere to sleep...can't very well stay out there with those monsters, you know," he said simply, the townspeople murmering in agreement. While Edward was busy gawking at Envy, mouth wide open, the innkeeper took their money and gave them each a key with a room number on it.

"Rooms are down that hall," he mumbled, eyeing Envy's odd attire and trying to figure out if the dark-haired person was a man or woman. Envy's violet eyes darted toward the keys, then back into Edward's defiant, gold ones.

"Well, well, seems I'll be right next door to you, O'Chibi-chan," Envy leant in close to Ed, his breath a warm gust that blew into Edward's ear and made the alchemist unwillingly shiver, from both fear and something else... "Maybe we'll see each other some..."

"S-shut up!" he turned toward the interested townspeople, "this person is evil! He's a murderer! Don't trust him!"

Envy regarded Edward with a hurt, confused look.

"I'm only a travelling artist who came here for inspiration...I heard it was beautiful here...I didn't know it had been overrun by chimeras," the Homunculus looked down, eyes sparkling with unspilt, and very fake, tears. "So when I got here...one attacked me and ruined all my supplies...it injured my back, so I just need somewhere to rest for a while..."

With the scraping of chairs and a chorus of sympathetic sounds, the inn's customers gathered around Envy, fussing and worrying over him like anxious mothers while the Homunculus nodded his head sadly, tendrils ofobsedian hair covering his face.

Butthrough the mass of black and green,Edward saw the smirk on those lips.

"He's EVIL!"

The townspeople, who already thought Edward was completely insane, ignored him.

Edward could have cried. Why in the world was this happening? What was Envy doing here? WHAT WAS HE UP TO! Held in the iron grip of a panic attack, Edward did the first thing that came to mind, something that defied most of the laws of physics.

He grabbed Al with one hand, the other simultaneously snatching up the suitcase, the kitten's tail, and the keys, then proceded to hurtle down the hall to his room. Once they were all inside, he slammed the door shut and pried off the kitten, which was yowling and clingingly angrily to his Automail hand.

"B-Brother?"

"What's he doing here, Al?" Edward put a tired hand to his forehead, "I just don't understand."

"He doesn't seem to be up to anything..."

"Oh, he's up to something, Al. I just know it."

* * *

Envy enjoyed being the center of attention, but he had more planning to do. He couldn't waste all his time with simple humans. So, he excused himself from their kind company and traipsed to his room, falling down on the bed, hands behind his head. 

And he grinned at the thought that Edward would have to endure another sleepless night.

* * *

**There ya go...I'm off vacation, by the way. Except now school is back in... SAVE ME! Anyway, hope you liked it. I tried to make it funny...it's 2:00 in the morning now, and I'm tired!**


	4. Dark Design

**Chapter Four: Dark Design**

**Hey again, guys! Thanks for all your reviews:sniffles: I love youso much! That's right! Even you::points: **

**Disclaimer: If I owned FMA, I wouldn't have to get a job...**

* * *

He sat rigidly in the chair, a nervous look in his eyes, which roved as if searching for an escape route. Homunculi did not often experience anxiety. The self-proclaimed superior beings had no reason to worry...not among normal people. However, Dante was nowhere near a normal person. It was no secret that Greed was afraid of her.

Still, he got points for bravado.

"I'm asking you to join us again, Greed," Dante said calmly over her cup of tea. Greed remained silent, the once travellingirises now settled upon the woman. In that body, Dante looked so...innocent. Of course, she had looked innocent in every body he had seen. He knew that to be far from the truth. She could strike fear in the hearts of men and Homunculi...she had higher power. Greed wanted and feared that power. Envy...well...it was obvious how Envy felt about that power, it was as simple to tell as looking at his name.He had seen the longing in Envy's eyes whenever Dante bossed anyone around. The eldest Homunculi didn't have a high tolerence for being controlled, but he acted as a puppet anyway. Greed found it highly suspicious.

Was Envy really the minion everyone thought he was...?

"...why are you so interested in me all of a sudden?" the Homunculus asked, getting back onto subject and trying to sound offhanded, but not able to keep the mistrust out of his voice.

"That's a stupid question..." the woman answered, lips pursed above her teacup, "You are valuable to the team."

"I don't see why I should rejoin...like I've said before, you guys aren't offering me anything that I want...I want more. I want it all."

"Yes, I know..." she set her cup down on the stone table and glanced about the elaboratly decorated living room. She then focused back on Greed. "However...I believe I have something to offer to you now...IF you join us again, that is...

Greed, being Greed, immediately thought of certain _sexual favors_...but judging by the look on Dante's face, it was nothing like that.

"What is it that's so great?"

Dante leaned back against the armchair, an enigmatic smile playing upon her lips.

"The opportunity to do something you've always wanted to do"

* * *

Edward Elric was sick. Unfortunatley, but truly, ill. Having a fever and chills in a town teeming with monsters was not a good thing, as he and his brother both knew.

Edward was disgruntled, all right, but too woozy to really_do_ anything about it. He glared at the ceiling as he lay on the bed in his hotel room, vaguely noting with slightly hazed vision that the white paint was peeling off.

"Nii-san, you should have gotten some sleep," Alphonse sighed as he placed a damp washcloth on his older brother's clammy forehead.

"How could I have slept when_he_ was right next door...?" Edward rasped in an angrily, weak voice.

"Brother, I checked this morning, and he was gone. Besides, he hasn't been doing anything really...bad, has he?" the armor asked softly, causing Ed to spring up defensively.

"What are you talking about, Al, he's been deliberately trying to freak me out and--" Edward's head suddenly flopped back onto his pillow, eyes narrowed woozily at nothing in particular.

"You should rest, Brother. You really need to save your strength. This is a dangerous place and it doesn't help that you're sick...maybe the innkeeper has some medicine! I'll go see!"

"No, Al, wait!" Ed cried weakly, too soft to be heard, reaching a hand out as his brother thundered out of the room.

For several ticks of the wall clock in the corner, Edward lay still and silent in bed, sweat beading on his paler-than-normal skin and rolling across his clammy flesh. After a while, it seemed that maybe, just maybe, some sort of pity had been taken upon him by the mysterious powers that be, and that no unwelcome visitors would show up.

Edward's eratic heartbeat went down a few notches as calm replaced fear.

He really should have known better.

"Hagane O' Chiiiiibi-saaaaaan!" sung out a happy, characteristically mocking voice.

Edward yelped and leapt out of bed, tripping over the sheets and landing facedown on the hardwood floors below Envy, who was perched on the windowsill. The alchemist struggled valiently to get up, finding it hard, since the thin bed covers were coiled like a python around his legs.

"No! Not you! Not again!" he cried, desperately trying to untangle the covers.

Smirking in delight, Envy hopped down and sat on his heels next to Ed.

"You can hear all sorts of things through these thin, plywood walls, O'Chibi..." Envy crawled with deliberate slowness on top of Ed, putting a hand to the metal-covered shoulder and successfully pinning him down. "And you and your brother can be quite loud..." he brushed his lips against Edward's cheek, then travelled softly to his ear, whispering in breathy gusts, "Is my O'Chibi-chan ill?"

Edward shivered, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He couldn't move, no matter how much his mind shrieked at him.

"Why aren't you moving?"

"Well," replied his body, "I'm in shock AND sick, with a dangerously brutal but stunningly gorgeous living doll crawling all over me. He just licked my ear."

"He's the enemy!"

"But...ear...!"

"I don't care! Move!"

Unfortunately, Edward's mind wasn't quite getting through. And, to its horror, Edward's body was responding to Envy's advances and begging for more.

But before anything could (or not) be done on Ed's part, Envy rocked back onto his bare heels, arms resting on knees and eyes staring with misplaced curiosity at the alchemist. Edward realized how sharp those eyes were, how dark and beautiful, like the deepest amythyst...

Body: Ha! NOW who's mesmerized?

Mind: Shut up.

"Well, O'Chibi, we can't have you sick, now, can we?"

"I...huh?"

And as if from nowhere, Envy procured a spoon and a bottle that was alarmingly brownish-red and alarmingly made of glass.

Normally, things made of glass aren't that alarming. It also the norm that brownish-red things are not quite so frightening either. However, when those two characteristics are combined and put in the form of a bottle, such a thing can send chills into the deepest core of a human being and bring to consciousness horrible memories of terror and apprehension.

Why? The answer was simple.

Brownish-red glass plusbottle equals medicine. Medicine equals "Oh god, it tastes like essence of farm animal".

Edward's eyes narrowed. He knew what it was, but he still had to ask.

"What's that?"

"Medicine, O'Chibi. Don't be dense," Envy replied, pouring the awful-smelling liquid onto the spoon, "Now open up."

"Wha--mmph!" Envy had stuffed the spoon into Ed's mouth, tilted his head back and yanked the utensil back out, all in the time that it would take a normal person to simply insert the spoon in the oral cavity.

A nasty taste filled Edward's mouth, making him grimace and cough after he unwillingly swallowed the substance.

First, all Ed could think about was the horrible taste, then a new thought slowly crept into his mind as he felt Envy's eyes still on him; that "medicine" could have actually been poison.

"You bastard!" Edward shrieked without another thought, springing up like a pogo stick and snatching Envy up by his tight collar. The Homunculus in question arched a dark eyebrow.

"What? Am I a bastard for trying to take care of you, or for killing the chimeras that got too close last night?"

"Quit lying," Edward snarled, clawing further into the fabric of Envy's shirt, "You're not taking care of me, and you didn't kill the chimeras either!"

"Wrong on both counts, O'Chibi. I just gave you medicine, didn't I?"

"It was poison, wasn't it!"

Envy, knowing that Edward's thought process was about as flawless as a mud skipper's verbal skills, decided to ignore this comment.

"And I_did_ kill some of the chimeras. I didn't want them bothering you."

"Why are you doing all this!" Edward finally let go of Envy and tossed both his hands into the air hopelessly. "I thought you hated me and Al! But suddenly you're following us and pretending to care about us and take care of us! What are you up to--mmph!"

Last time Edward had uttered "mmph" it was because Envy had shoved horrible-tasting medicine into his mouth. This time was different; it was sweet. Edward's mind couldn't quite register what it was at first, though his body knew and shivered in excitement.

Envy had kissed Edward, pressing his soft lips against Ed's, thrusting his tongue into the hot interior of the alchemist's mouth and replacing the taste of the tonic with the taste of something cool and deliciously pleasant.

When Edward's mind finally realized what was happening, and that the body didn't seem to have any disagreements, it realized that something had to be done. So, it did the only logical thing it could think of; shut everythingdown.

Edward's body went limp in a dead faint, held up only by Envy's thin arms. The Sin grinned in a wild, dazed way, and placed his prey upon the bed, and blew him a mocking kiss.

"I'll be back soon, O'Chibi," he smirked and leapt out the window.

* * *

Dark, baneful laughter thrummed in bass tones through the shadowy, sun-forsaken room. Greednow knewwhat was so wonderful that it would make him want to rejoin with Dante and the other Sins. He knew now where he would go, what he would do, and what fun would be had. He hated working for people, but there was something that he hated more, something that would finally be held in his hands, all his and no one else's. No one to interrupt, no one to save, no one to judge, and no one to see except him. It was all planned out, and his excitement had grown from a simmering pot to a frothing, boiling ocean that grew larger with each step he took.

His weapon, the only thing he would need, was secured in a small box that fit snugly in the grip of his powerful hand.

"So, Greed," Dante said, closing the lid of the ancient trunk, "You know what to do, correct?"

"Oh, yes..." the Sin growled in a low but delighted voice as he eyed the small box in his hand. "I certainly do..._Master."_

* * *

**Whoo, I finally finished this chapter...I'm thinking about writing a lemon for one of the later chapters and posting it on my livejournal site, but I've never written a lemon before! X.x; Should I! Ah, well, I'll decide later. Thank you for reading, my friends.**


	5. Vicissitude

**Chapter Five**: Vicissitude

**_I HATE BRACES_...so much...but, in honor of these painful, hate-inducing objects of my scorn, this chapter will be a tad more serious than others...so buckle up, yo. This is a long chapter...**

**By the way, AWA-Con was freakin awesome. If you want to see pictures from it, go to my profile and click on homepage. You'll see me cosplaying as Envy. I'll post more soon.**

**Disclaimer: I no be owning the FMA goodness...**

* * *

Alphonse hadn't asked questions when he found that he could not wake his elder brother. What he did do, however, was make noises distinctly reminiscent of the whines of a dog giving birth to a particularly large puppy.

It didn't take long, however, for Ed to awaken. Or, to be concise, to spring up in bed shrieking at the top of his lungs.

"Nii-san!" Al gasped, "You're awake!"

"That bastard kissed me!"

"I was so worried about you!"

"He poisoned me, then he kissed me!"

"I thought you were...what? Who?"

"Who d'you think, Al! Envy!"

"Envy kissed you?" Alphonse asked, confusion spreading like liquid over shock.

"And he force-fed me poison!"

"But Nii-san, you don't seem to be poisoned...in fact, you don't even seem to be sick any longer."

Edward paused from his fuming, noting with narrowed eyes and a deep frown that he _did_ feel a lot better, despite being incredibly shaky.

"I...guess..." he muttered, putting a hand to his chin and staring at the corner of the room, where Al's tiny kitten was trying to catch a moth.

"Nii-san...tell me what happened."

"It was...nothing, Al," Edward responded, realizing that he could have easily imagined the whole thing...of course, with the taste in his mouth...he just didn't know.

* * *

Dodging and lunging, jumping and ducking, all in sublime movements as fluid as water, the dance went on, two monstrosities against each other, fighting to the end.

Of course, once the chimera died, it was gone forever. When Envy died, he could always come back.

He kicked the thing's head, noting wryly that it wasn't as fun killing these creatures as it was humans. After all, this beast, with its blue-scaled brows and vicious eyes, could not convey the emotion, the horror, that a human being could once confronted with eternity. The chimera knew nothing but of destruction, and Envy felt a connection with the beast.

But no connection was enough to stop him from killing.

Envy had the power to end it quickly, but he didn't; he wanted to be absorbed in the motions, lost in the red haze of blood and wind that screamed, like a storm, around him. His mind was still wild and dazed from the kiss he had given that little bastard; it had engulfed him, driven him over the brink. He had so far staked a small claim on the little blonde...and he would do more, much more.

He hungered for it.

A black-clad foot connected with gaping jaw, sending shattered, yellow teeth flying and hurling the creature back onto a sharpened post that most likely once had a "Welcome to Demorest" sign perched on top of it. It was over in an instant, with a spray of blood and a screech of pain; the chimera was impaled, the red, dripping lumber thrusting boastfully from its torn chest.

Greed had seen everything from a vantage point on top of a nearby building.

What a lovely creature Envy was, so lithe and willowy, so beautiful with those deep violet eyes and that lucious smirk. His mind, so untangible, though it hid mountains of intelligence behind an air of cocky bluntness that somehow accentuated his gorgeous body.

It would be fun crushing him.

* * *

"Mr. Elric? You have a call," the young waitress said softly, handing the phone to Edward. He nodded his thanks and took the phone, cradling the reciever against his shoulder as he toed the door shut, save a space for the cord. Alphonse was downstairs, proudly showing off the little calico, so Ed was all alone, and admittedly nervous, in the small room.

"Hello?" he asked cautiously, half expecting Envy to be on the other line, laughing at him in that ridiculously mocking voice. Instead, it was the colonel's deep tones that thrummed through.

"Full Metal. How are things going over there?" Mustang asked. Ed scowled, hearing the poorly-disguised amusment in Mustang's voice.

"They're going fine. Do you really have so little faith in me that you have to check up after only two days?"

"If I had no faith in you, I wouldn't have sent you there in the first place," Mustang answered. Edward shut his mouth and glared at the wall, not quite knowing how to challenge that statement. "I just called to make sure you're not dead."

"No, I'm not, thank you!" Ed snapped.

"So what's the problem?"

_'Damn it all_,' Ed thought, _'How does he always know...?_'

Truthfully, Edward sorely wanted to tell Mustang the truth; that a crazy Homunculus was stalking him, kissing him, and curing his illnesses. Well, the last one wasn't so bad. But really, who knew what could have been in that medicine? However, that would take a lot of explanation, which Ed hated, plus Mustang had enough on his plate...

"Nothing. Really."

"Sure, Edward. So how are you handling the chimera situation?"

"Uh..." Ed paused, reluctant to tell the colonel that he had not handled any aspect of the chimera situation at all. He hadn't even seen one lately, though he had heard their unearthly shrieks and roars from time to time. So, he did the next best thing. He lied, "I wiped out a few of those bastards, don't worry. I was just about to go get one that's right outside. Actually, I think I'd better go now! See ya--"

"Full Metal," Mustang's commanding voice rang out from the earpiece just as Ed was about to slam the receiver down. Slowly, he brought it back up to his ear.

"Sir?"

"Remember, you also need to find the cause if you can."

"Right. Bye," Ed set down the phone without waiting for a response. He sighed heavily and slumped against the wall, "Ugh...Envy, you bastard, this is all your fault..."

"Is it?"

"You--wha!" Edward whipped around, staring with wide eyes at Envy, who was leaning against the wall next to the window, arms crossed casually, "I thought I locked that window!"

"You did," Envy shrugged, strolling over to Ed and wrapping his arms around the alchemist's firm waist, pulling him close. Edward both trembled and seethed at the same time. He couldn't remember how to move.

"Y-you've got blood on you. You killed someone, didn't you, you bastard?"

"Calm down, O'Chibi..." Envy leaned into Edward and breathed onto his neck, "I've just been doing away with those pesky chimeras so you won't have to overexert yourself..."

"I...I c-can h-handle..."

"I don't think you can..." Envy purred, placing a wet kiss on Edward's crimson cheek while rubbing the tense muscles in his back.

Ed stared at the Sin with hazy, splotched vision.

_'Damn it...move...gotta move...bastard...god, he's so beautiful...and sexy...and...'_

"Get away from me!" Ed finally realized what he had been thinking and roughly shoved Envy back. The Sin, however, didn't seem fazed.

"Wasamatter, O'Chib? I thought you were enjoying it."

" O'Chib? What, are you too lazy now to even say all of an insult?"

"It's not an insult, it's the truth. You're small," Envy brought together his thumb and index finger to demonstrate Edward's tininess.

"Who are you callin a circus midget who could use a thimble as a boat!"

"Don't thimbles have holes? Not much of a ship there, O'Chib."

Ed didn't respond, partly because he truly didn't know if thimbles had holes or not, and partly because Envy was kissing his neck.

"I h-hate you," Ed moaned.

"No, you don't," Envy answered.

"Y-you hate me..."

"I do?" a gloved hand wormed its way under Edward's shirt and tank top, velvet fingers tracing the hard muscles of his abdomen.

"Y-yes..." Ed sighed.

"Mmm," The Homunculus looked into Edward's eyes, the deep violet orbs glinting mischeivously, the cat-like pupils dilated more than usual in a way that made Envy seem placid and content, almost humanly so. Edward remained tense, waiting. "Come with me, O'Chibi."

Before Ed knew what hit him, Envy hefted him up in his arms and hopped out the window.

* * *

Greed reclined in the soft, cushioned chair, his dark blue talons fading into softer, tanned skin. He had warned the owner of the house to step down, but the stubborn wench hadn't obeyed.

"What else could I have done, really?" he smiled to himself, gazing lazily around the large room in which he now sat. This house, which had been miraculously unharmed amongst the rubble and destruction of Demorest, was lavishly furnished with beautiful, and probably expensive, items. No wonder that human had still been living here, even with all the chaos...who would want to leave behind all this? He shifted a hand through the golden, bejewelled puddles of an open jewelry box. His own tiny container rested on the small table next to him.

What was inside that was more valuable than anything in the house. He grinned through the darkness.

And waited.

* * *

Edward knew he must have blacked out after Envy had careened out the open window with him in tow, because last he remembered, he wasn't on a grassy cliff overlooking the lush countryside. Demorest lay to his back, a forsaken, forgotten town, but in front and around him life thrived. Two thin hands slid across his stomach, their fingerless gloves like a blanket to the skin. Warm breath gusted onto the back of his neck, followed by kisses that made the ache of his Automail abruptly fade.

And he let it continue.

Though he shouldn't have been there, though he shouldn't have let Envy touch him like that, he let it go on...he felt loved, nurtured and safe. It had been so long that his strained mind could not even remember...

Envy kissed away the doubts that pitted in Edward's consciousness, swept away the apprehension with his velvet touch and slid his body against the boy that had, up until now, fought so desperately against him. He healed the wounds and banished the fear.

But as Envy's carresses stopped and he simply held Edward in his slender arms, the alchemist's terror resurfaced, accompanied by anger and shame. He grumbled and tried to push Envy away.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I want to help," Envy replied softly, holding him tighter. No lie had ever sounded more like the truth.

"You want something from me that I'm not going to give you. Either that or you're just messing with me," Edward turned his head and glared at the Sin, "Which one is it, Envy?"

Envy nuzzled the side of Edward's neck.

"I'll take you back now."

* * *

Once Edward had been safely deposited back to his inn, Envy strode slowly toward the center of town, reflecting. The walk back had not been pleasant, with Edward staring in guilty silence at the ground, keeping his distance from Envy, then suddenly breaking out in a run once the inn was in view. Envy hadn't bothered to go after him. He knew the shrimp wanted him. It was obvious from the way he had moaned and panted from those kisses, however much he had tried to stifle it...

Envy wanted Edward too. He had never, ever in his life experienced any pleasure such as that...the touches, the closeness...he felt a sense of domination over Edward.

_'Of course_,' Envy thought, '_I've always been better than him._'

The Sin travelled through the wreck that was downtown Demorest, keeping an eye out for any more chimeras. He stopped when his keen eyes spotted a smear of blood on the open door of a large, relatively well-kept house. Upon closer inspection, he found the body of a woman ripped open in a heap on the oriental rug. Envy narrowed his eyes. Those wounds looked far too familiar.

"Aha...if it isn't Big Brother Envy," Greed stepped into view, hands clenched at his sides.

Envy gave Greed an acidic smile emanating with a kind os psychosis that would trouble any other person.

"Well, well," he hissed, the grin still stretched upon his lips, "if I had known you were here, I'd have caught one of those hideous mutations and given it to you. I'm sure you'd like someone around you can relate to."

Greed responded by baring his sharp, white teeth in an equally unsettling sneer, eyes taking in Envy hungrily, "That's okay. I already have you, after all."

As Envy's fair face contorted further into a look of psychotic enthusiasm, Greed knew it was time to accomplish what he had come here for. He couldn't, wouldn't wait any longer to put that pale little bastard in his place. But to get there, close proximity to Envy would be key. The elder Sin was extremely agile and quick, not to mention a powerful and defensive fighter. Greed would have to be fast and sly.

With raging excitement, he tore off his fur-collar jacket and lunged at Envy, skin morphing and hardening, the small box secure in his dark, stony talons. Envy dodged Greed's punches and jumped, smashing a foot against the taller Sin's solid face. Greed was pushed back and Envy landed, looking so smug and superior, so _damn haughty_! He was good, Greed had to admit, but Envy was not in any way prepared for what was in store for him.

"It doesn't take much, you know," Greed snarled delightedly as he flipped open the top of the box with his sharp thumb. Envy raised his eyebrows, that _stupid_ grin still on his face.

"What's that, meathead?"

Greed laughed maniacally and lunged for Envy again in what appeared to be a full-on attack. The smaller Sin immediately took evasive action, begging to carry out what would have been an impressive backflip.

Impressive, had Greed not snatched the dark tendrils of Envy's hair in midflip and slammed him face-down onto the dusty, wooden floor.

"What the hell...?" Envy coughed into the dust, strting to push himself up with one hand, removing a long splinter from his cheek with the other.

"Better get use dto those splinters, bitch," Greed simpered, smashing his pointed shoe hard upon the small of Envy's back.

The time had come.

Envy growled, his body beginning to spark with the energy of transformation.

"Bastard! Let's see how easily you can defeat a--auuuuuugh!"

Envy's mind shattered into incomprehensible thoughts. Light exploded in, before, behind his eyes. His blood was oil, his nerves fire, igniting and burning and melting in a thousand different pains he had never before known. A soundless shriek wrenched his mouth wide and slicing pain seared between his shoulder blades and throughout his body like a blistering lance had cleaved him into two. His muscles tightened, then spasmed in convulsions as the throbbing torment ravaged his slim frame.

Greed's eyes bored down upon his shuddering quary with a grin so wide it seemed to crack his face in two.

The fun was just beginning.

* * *

**Ooh, mysterious, yes? And you still don't know what was inside that box, do ya? Huh? Huh? I dunno, maybe you do. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!**


	6. Tribulation

**Chapter Six:** Tribulation

_**Warnings:** This chapter has basically no humor in it, and there is a torture scene involved...and it's pretty short, but that's because there's a lot to...er...absorb. Also, the answer to some questions..._

_Homunculienvy: A thesaurus IS involved at certain points (mostly when it's two in the morning and I'm really tired) but most of the words I use on my own. I'm geeky like dat._

_Galenchia: There will be a few necessary spoilers, especially in this chapter, but I wasn't planning on putting any more in after that...but who knows? There could be. I...er...haven't really gotten all of the story in my head yet. insert guilty laughter here_

_Also, to the rest of my reviewers, I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! Don't lose faith in me, mmkay?_

* * *

Edward slumped over the table, staring with blank contrition at the ceramic bowl which held his breakfast. The inn bustled with nervous townspeople who were glancing out windows and pouring tea with shakey hands, perhaps realizing the wooden building wouldn't accomodate them forever. Ed had resolved that morning, after another sleepless night, to at least try and help Demorest with its chimera situation. After all, he hadn't come here to spend his time fretting over if Envy was going to rape him or not. 

Still, he felt he had already been violated, at least in some way, by the Homunculus...and even worse...he had enjoyed it. He had let Envy's peppered kisses drown him in an ocean of pleasure, the torrents sweeping away the realizations of what Envy was...his enemy, a Sin, a psychotic, pure evil monster.

"One problem at a time," Edward murmered to himself as his brother clanked up to the table.

"Are you feeling ill again, Nii-san?" Alphonse asked, his helmet tilting in worry, "you haven't touched your breakfast."

"Yeah, Al...just not hungry, that's all," Ed stood, shoulding his jacket and pushing the chair in with his boot. He made his way, Alphonse following close behind, to the door. Ignoring the frightened looks of the curious townspeople, they left.

* * *

Greed circled his trembling prey, swimming through the thick, dank air like a shark with the scent of blood in its nostrils. It was morning now, a bright morning, several hours since Greed had captured Envy. However, the two Homunculi were hidden from the light of dawn, tucked away in the basement of the house. Greed had moved Envy there; he liked it. It was dark, with a floor of hard soil. It teemed with the evil of both Sins. It beckoned to taste the blood of one. 

For hours, Greed had simply sat and watched, thirsty eyes drinking in the sight of the once mighty, once _superior_ Envy, screaming and shuddering like a hunter's wounded quarry. Still, after a while he had tired of simply sitting there, and decided to finally live out his lifelong dream of torturing and humiliating the lucious little whore until Envy begged for it to stop. Given the elder Sin's tolerence to pain, it wouldn't be long...Greed gazed at the cracked creek of blood which stretched like a strip of parched, crimson desert from between Envy's bony shoulder blades, down unto his bared skin...and remembered when his fortune had begun.

* * *

_"Do you know what this is, Greed?" Dante opened the miniscule container, revealing what appeared to be a long, white splinter; small, but sharp. Greed was no fool. He knew all too well what it was._

_"It's a piece of bone," he answered simply, eyeing it with suspicion._

_"Indeed. No need to worry," she added noting his narrowed eyes, "this splinter will not harm_ you_. It was taken from Envy's former being."_

_Greed stared, the immense possibilities flooding into his mind. Dante smiled her small, mysterious smile._

_"I can see you're eager. It's so small, it won't be enough to completely immobilize him, but it will make him weak and unable to change form or heal himself."_

_"I know how it works," he said quickly._

_"This one is slightly different. I soaked it in a special alchemic formula, you see. Once inserted into Envy's body, it should have devastating effects."_

_Greed licked his lips. He could almost taste Envy's pain._

_"And why are you doing this?" it was probably a stupid question, he knew, but he was curious._

_"I've been saving it for a time when Envy needs to be reminded of who is in charge. I believe that time is now. I know how much you dislike Envy, and I will let you be the one to teach him this lesson IF you join up with us agan."_

_"Yes," Greed hissed immediately, lips stretching back and baring the teeth of a predator._

_"Wonderful," she cooed as she handed him the box, "Insert the bone in the center of his back, where the marking of the middle circle is. He will not be able to reach it, and it will make for a nice target for you."_

_And endless possibilities surfaced again, dancing through Greed's very being._

* * *

So it was that he had done as she said. The sharp splinter, which had pierced the elder Sin's flesh, now embedded deeply between the jutting shoulder blades, wracked the small, bony Homunculus with nearly untolerable pain, and seeped into his body a frustrating weakness. With every gasp, fire flared in his lungs and his muscles clenched involuntarily, painfully. Still, he glared at his captor through the spheres of sweat dripping from his sodden headband and damp hair. 

"Y-you...b-bas..." his voice was nothing but soft, sharp gasps and tiny gusts of air.

"Bastard? Where you trying to call me a bastard?" Greed laughed louldy, wrenching Envy up by the hair and waggling him about as if he were a ragdoll, "If I were you, I'd be nicer to me, bitch," he simpered, smile widening as he saw the dim fury flare in Envy's hazy eyes.

"T-that d-doesn't make se...sense..." he groaned weakly. Greed dropped him back on the dirty floor, smirking as Envy made a pathetic attempt to push himself up. He strode casually to the far side of the room and stood in front of a collection of useful antiques he had found throughout the house. With a few moments of consideration, he picked out an elaborate, though slightly rusty, cutlass. Rolling the leather braided hilt in his rough hands, he sauntered back over to Envy, beginning to circle him again, this time more like a pacing wildcat waiting for his prey's most vulnerable moment.

"You've always had a smart mouth," his shadow loomed over Envy. The wildcat no longer paced, "maybe I can fix that."

With the sword's handle gripped tightly in his fingers, it only took one powerful thrust to drive the blade into Envy's middle, out through the other side of his body, embedding deeply into the floor. The pinned creature's agonized screams cut through the air, ringing harmoniously in Greed's ears and contrasting sharply to his peals of laughter.

The younger Homunculus knelt down next to Envy, grinning wildly.

"Hurts, don't it?" he asked, lifting up Envy's skirt and eyeing what it usually hid with great interest. Envy coughed, blood spewing from his mouth and trickling down his bruised chin in crimson streams. Greed cackled and let his roaming hands travel roughly across Envy's firm backside, being sure to touch all the places that would make his prey feel most uncomfortable. "Maybe I was wrong about you, whore. You're not _too_ hideous...and Dante _did _tell me to teach you a lesson. She didn't quite specific what _kind_ of lesson it could be..."

"Dan...te...?" Envy gurgled through his half-mouthful of blood. Greed snickered and ran a sharpened talon across the back of Envy's tight halter top, slicing it apart.

"I'll tell you all about it when we're done. Just promise me you won't pass out."

* * *

Edward grimaced and held his hand in front of his nose as he inspected the chimera's fly-infested corpse. 

"Maybe it's a good thing you don't have the sense of smell, Al," he grumbled from between his fingers, smatting away the annoying insects.

"I guess Envy has been killing them," Alphonse mused, phantom eyes searching the area, "It doesn't look las if they've been fighting amongst themselves."

"Come to think of it, he _did _mention that he's been slaughtering them..." Edward remarked, remembering with narrowed eyes what Envy had told him just yesterday. Alphonse looked down at his brooding brother.

"He's been awfully nice lately, Nii-san. Do you think he's up to something?"

"We already talked about that, Al!" Ed grumbled and stalked forward, continuing his trek farther into Demorest, "of course he is. Envy would never be nice _unless _he was up to something."

"Maybe he's changed..."

"Don't count on it, Al," Ed scowled, thankful that his back was to his brother.

_'He will never change. He's unable to,' _Ed thought, and wondered fiercely why it wasn't fair.

* * *

Roy Mustang peered blankly at the huge stack of paperwork whose top hovered precariously over him. After a few more moments of staring, he scribbled out a note, stuck it on the paper, then started off. Hawkeye looked at him as he left. 

"Sir, what are you doing?"

"Going to the archives. I'll be busy."

_'Sleeping'_

"What are you going to look up?"

"Ancient alchemical practices."

_'Of getting to sleep...'_

"What for?"

"A report"

_'Because I stayed out too long on my date last night.' _

"...right, sir," Hawkeye shook her head, not believing a word of it. Mustang walked off as Havoc entered, a deeply rooted habit causing him to look over at the mound of paperwork and the note that read "_Havoc, fill these out or you're fired."_

Havoc sighed, lit a cigarrette, and wondered vaguely why he wasn't used to this by now.

* * *

Mustang sat amongst several books he had pulled out from the shelves in the archives, thankful he finally had the room to himself. He _had_ originally planned on sleeping, but when he had entered, several State Alchemists were gathered around the table, researching. Though he had a lot of gall, he hadn't enough to crawl under the table and just drift sleep as they read. And when they had eventually left, he found himself too immersed in his own reading to stop. 

The pages of the old book crinkled as he turned them, eyes scanning over the hard-to-read text about the creatures call "Homunculi". Stories like these were interesting, but only facts concerned the colonel. Time found the book cast aside among others, with Roy slumped against the book shelf, fast asleep, and unaware of the fact that Homunculi did, indeed, exist.

And that the first one to come into existence was being broken by his Homunculus brother.

* * *

_Yup, yup...scary, bad chapter. But I still hope you enjoyed it..._

_Yes, the thing in the end with Mustang is called foreshadowing! Know it. Live it. Love it._

_Also...I recall being asked if I've read Dark Humour, and the answer is YES YES YES! It's my favorite FMA fanfic, and it's what inspired this little story here. If you haven't read it, READ IT NOW. Anyways, until next time!_


	7. Semblance Grim

**Chapter Seven: Semblance Grim**

**Auuughhh...I tried to tape the new episode of FMA last Saturday and it worked, but it ended up making the sounds really soft and scratchy. Envy sounds like a sparking toaster. That won't do! Quickly! To CVS:Grabs keys and darts off :**

**BlackMercifulFaerie: Yep, I'm aware of Ed and Envy's...relationship. Have been for a while now...I love spoilers! I thought it was a wonderful plot twist myself...but in this story, Ed doesn't know yet and Envy's just too insane to care, so...whee! Disturbing things ensue...**

**Also, some of you seem to be confused over the last sentence in the previous chapter. XD No, Roy does not have a brother, nor does Greed...I was referring to Greed and Envy. The fact that they're both Homunculi kinda makes them related in a sense...**

**Warnings: Longest chapter I've ever written...more torture...implied rape...DANCING TURNIPS! Okay, not really. That would have been fun, though.**

**Disclaimer: I own my sound-skewed Full Metal Alchemist tape and a picture of me with Vic Mignogna, but not the series itself. Sigh...**

* * *

The bright morning had turned quickly into a heavy, humid noon, the atmosphere thick with dark clouds that threatened to let loose their torrents at any moment. Beneath the bitter sky, Edward and Alphonse trudged through downtown Demorest. Edward took in the broken houses and ruined stores, wondering with unreasonable anger how many people had died here. Somehow, all his thoughts tied in with Envy. 

He couldn't control them, these irrational ponderings. He hated them. Despised them. If these thoughts were to suddenly materialize into tiny, adorable creatures scampering about amongst the dewy blades of grass, he would have ground their disturbing little bodies into the dirt with the heel of his boot.

But thoughts didn't just suddenly pop up as cute little animals, just as Envy wouldn't just suddenly decide to seduce someone. He was much more calculating than that; he had greater intentions. Edward didn't know much about Envy, but he could always see the planning, the detached appraisal, in the Sin's eyes. And while Envy might _dress _like a slut, he never really struck Edward as one.

"Oh! Sorry, Nii-san! Are you okay?" Edward was suddenly aware of Alphonse's gigantic form shadowing him, burning red eyes staring unblinkingly down upon him.

"Yeah...why?"

"Um...you just walked into me."

"Oh...did I? Mm," Edward stuffed his hands into his pockets, "Right, Al. Let's try up here...this house looks pretty intact. Kinda suspicious."

Alphonse accompanied Edward, slowly starting to get used to his odd (_er than normal_) behavior while still wondering what was going on in his brother's head.

* * *

Greed licked his fingers as he drew them up, gazing down upon the naked, prone form of Envy, the cutlass still firmly pinning him to the gritty basement floor. 

"I'm more talented than I thought," Greed remarked with a coy grin, "I mean, it was difficult to accomplish with that sword in the way. But it was better like that, really..." in response to Envy's defeated mewl: "Why, you ask? Well, it was kinky. And you know..." he reached out and carressed Envy's beaten cheek, " I like it kinky"

The smaller Sin trembled in pain and rage over what Greed had done to him. However, they both knew this wouldn't be like in the past, when said rage would engulf Envy and send his lean body careening at a foe, ready to kill. Ferocity had been destroyed by pained exhaustion, and his fury seemed like a far-off thing; tangible, but too far for his broken arms to reach.

Envy would never ask to die. He was too proud, had too many things planned, to give it all up. Still, any kind relief from this torment, this humiliation, this absolute _misery _...would have been welcome. But it had been hours, like years to him, and no relief had come.

The blade in his gut wasn't helping matters.

"Ah, I could do this all day," Greed placed a hand on the sword's hilt, twisting it a bit and relishing in Envy's tortured gasp, "And I think I will. So, Envy-chan, tell me why you came here in the first place. This is the Full Metal kid's assignment, isn't it? Since when are you part of his entourage?"

When Envy remained silent save for his ragged breathing, Greed added, "Answer me or that spiked mace over there is going to be introduced to those pretty legs of yours."

The words filtered from Envy's mouth, cracked and dry, his voice no longer carrying its usual lilt.

"C-came...t-to...h-urt...h...him..." he partially lied.

"Hurt him, huh? But didn't Dante tell you _not _to hurt him? Disobeying orders, aren't we, Envy-chan?"

"B-bas...tard..." Envy spat blood and hatred, his mellowing glare betraying the fact that he was just barely clinging to the edge of whatever it was he had left to hold onto. Greed could have sworn that if Envy had been sane to begin with, within a few more moments it would be lost. However, he had long doubted thatthe elder'ssanity was intact.

Greed was very content with the fact that Envy insisted on fighting against him. Not that he admiredhim for it; quite the contrary. He felt Envy to be a complete idiot to continue his pathetic struggle. Surely the bitch knew that if he just gave up and took it without lip, Greed would eventually get bored and let him go free, albeit with a sore ass and crushed pride, but free nonetheless.

But, being the stubborn moron he was, Envy would never yield.

Though he might pretend to.

"I've been thinking, Envy," Greed mused, kneeling by Envy's white, clenched hands while reaching for an rust-flecked hammer that lay to the side, "you always seem to be in control, though you're _supposed _to be working for Dante," he eased off Envy's fingerless gloves, "could it be that _you're _using _her _for your own selfish reasons?" and lifted the hammer high into the air.

Envy couldn't answer. He hadn't even understood the amused words springing from Greed's eager tongue; it was nothing but once familiar sounds broken up to the point of no recognition, all floating haphazardly inside his weary head.

Then a sharp whistle and the sound of bones snapping, accompanied by crushing pain, as the hammer slammed down onto his thin fingers, breaking three on the right hand.

"Aww, does Envy not want to talk?" he coiled the hammer's claws around tendrils of Envy's listless hair and yanked hard.

Envy was beyond crying out. All he wished for now was to have his mind blanketed in the sweet, dark velvet of unconsciousness, so he couldn't feel, couldn't think...and wake up in a luxurious bed next to a naked, begging Edward, Greed's blood-spattered head stuck on a pike nearby...

_Edward? Where'd that come from?_ Envy had forgotten about the diminutive State Alchemist...about those pouting lips and those determined amber eyes...and as he heard Greed's laughter and felt a heavy body descend on him, he forgot again.

* * *

"Agh, dammit!" Edward exclaimed in disgust, staring at the swollen, gashed body before him, its limbs splayed awkwardly against the frame of the doorway. Alphonse thundered up before Ed could stop him, the horrified gasp as he spotted the corpse resounding sharply inside his armor. Edward disregarded it, shaking his head furiously, "I knew it_...I knew it! _Envy did this! Envy killed this poor..." he glanced down at the body, "..woman! I knew he couldn't be nice...he can't even be decent!" 

"Nii-san," Alphonse placed a large leather palm on his brother's shoulder, pointing with his other hand a hesitant finger, "It doesn't look as though Envy killed her. She's torn up; it doesn't seem like his style."

"How would you know?" Edward demanded with surly skepticism, "He could have taken the form of something with talons."

"Or a taloned chimera could have done it."

Edward frowned angrily at the swift but sensible rebuttle Alphonse had given him. It was quite probable that a chimera had attacked the woman, but he would have liked to believe that Envy had done it. He wanted a reason to hate Envy.

"Let's check the rest of the house, Al. This woman hasn't been dead for too long...there could be survivors inside."

Alphonse nodded and they stepped over the bloated cadaver, past the grim, red marks on the swung-open door, and into the foreboding darkness.

The large living room, with its overturned furniture and dirt disturbed, betrayed the telltale signs of a struggle. Al was the first to discover the long, clean streak on the floor, stark and brilliant in contrast to the rest of the dusty wooden surface.

"Like something was dragged farther into the house..."

"Or _someone _," Edward said, "but the trail stops when it hits that rug. We'll just go through all the rooms. Watch out, Al."

"Right."

* * *

With an arched back and a primal groan, Greed proved once more that no amount of death and rebirth, no kind of higher motive, could destroy mankind's deepest instinct. Of course, true reproduction was certainly not the goal. Not that he could have, anyway, but Greed wasn't exactly yearning to bounce his and Envy's prospective child on his knee. As was his way, he only wanted pleasure for himself. 

Oh, and to torture Envy until either his mind or his spirit broke. Maybe even both, if Greed was lucky. What was the different between mind and spirit, anyway?

Greed placed his hands on the sword's hilt and pushed himself up. Envy lay still, shallow but labored breathing sending his black and blue ribs pumping thinly. Greed watched as he shoved on his dark pants, delighted with the way things were going. Excitement moved his usually stagnant blood once again. It was amazing, almost miraculous, how Envy's suffering aroused him so. He crouched in front of Envy's face, snickering softly.

"I'll take that splinter out if you do something for me..." he trailed a hand down Envy's clammy, cold face. He was close to breaking, Greed could feel it within his core. Envy couldn't even form coherent words any longer, only low-pitched moans and sad, shrill cries, all his addled brain and burning throat could manage.

Greed eased open Envy's mouth with a finger and met no resistance, aside from a bite so weak it could have hardly been qualified as a nibble.

"There's a good boy..." he eased another finger past Envy's cracked lips before he suddenly paused, looking up as he heard footsteps and voices from above, "Well, I guess we've got some visitors. And from the sounds of it, it's Full Metal and his tin can brother," he shoved his fingers in further, feeling Envy gag, "Maybe I should casually mention to them how they can finish you off. I mean, I'm sure even death would be better than having to go through more of this, right?"

He removed his fingers and stood as the voices grew louder and the basement steps creaked. Kicking Envy's head, he added quietly, "I know they could use that information against me, but they don't have my mortal remains, do they? However...everything they need for your demise is _conveniently _present."

* * *

Edward ducked under the crossbeam and into the basement, Alphonse following close behind. He was prepared for nothing, or something. 

Nothing or something became everything.

Hard and heavy, the vision of what was transpiring in the basement hit Edward like a Gorgon had slapped him in the face. He reeled from the image in the dim light, mind boggled.

Envy's prone, naked body, so frail, so unbelievably vulnerable, held to the hard, crimson-stained soil, skin smeared with blood and grime. Obsedian hair, wet and limp, was plastered to his face, the rest spread out on the ground in dark strings. The sword in his middle stood a monument to the authority of the being that had placed it there, the flesh around the blade torn and ragged, his middle crusted with dried blood, new crimson streaks glinting unpleasantly beneath. And his eyes, his eyes so blank, so hopeless, hardly open and lacking their usual gleam...as if they were dark cracks desecrating a white marble surface.

The Homunculus...the _monster _... was so helplessly forlorn with his broken, dirty body and defeated eyes, that Edward shuddered, wishing deeply he had been there to stop whatever had happened. He stood, unable to move, on the second step from the bottom, his brother still behind him

"I thought it was you," Greed said far too casually, as if the tortured creature before him didn't even exist. Edward heard the tone, but didn't understand the words. They were just static in his head.

Those eyes. That body, bare and shivering wildly, his breathing labored... weak. Edwardsaw one of Envy'sthin fingers with a bloody sliver of bone splintering from the lacerated skin. Hespotted a pile of torn clothing and implicating stains...

Those eyes_... those eyes _turned toward him in silent supplication.

And yet, his heart beat wildly with anticipation, brain realizing that a major threat could, right here, right now, be eliminated. Envy was an enemy, a murderous monster that'd stab you in the heart with the fork you'd been using to eat your salad...didn't he deserve to die?

Maybe, but Edward couldn't stand to see anybody suffering such torture. Still, the only word to filter through his lips was, "How?"

"How what?" Greed asked, eyebrows raised.

"Why?" Alphonse's horrified cry resounded behind Edward, sending the older brother's ears ringing. He had forgotten Al was there.

"Why what?" the Homunculus responded, clearly amused.

"How'd you do that?" Edward stalked forward, pointing a gloved finger down at Envy, trying hard, _so hard_, to ignore the heart-rending twitching of the Sin's puny body.

"Oh, you want to know, do you?" Greed simpered, "It's quite simple, really...but _why _do you want to know? Do you want to destroy Envy yourself? You can..."

Alphonse had already thundered past his brother and knealt down by Envy, hands moving worriedly back and forth over the Homuculus' body as he fretted over what to do.

"Al, leave Envy alone!" Edward shouted, then turned his attention back to Greed, "_How_ ?"

Lightning crashed explosively outside as the rain began to pound onto the earth in row after row of sweeping bullets. The house where a family had once lived now knew destruction, abomination, and the absolute horrors of torture. But all was quiet as Greed explained exactly how to kill a Homunculus, leaving out no detail, and keeping in his mind a vision of an ideal, Envy-free, world.

Lightning jolts yellowed the air, enlarging two shadows against the house's outside wall.

* * *

"There you have it," Greed ended with a shrug, "all it takes is a little of your alchemic talent. And poof, no more Envy. No one really wanted him around anyway...I mean, our _master _sent me here to do this to him," he kicked Envy's side hard with a pointed shoe, grin widening as a loud crack snapped through the air against the thrumming of the rain outside. 

Edward's fists were clenched tightly at his sides. Envy was, and had been, going through something he felt no one should go through, but he couldn't deny the fact that Envy deserved it. And that he wanted relief from the disturbing Sin...

"You don't want him to keep stalking you, do you?" Greed asked, waking Edward from his reverie.

"I..." Ed trailed off, the gears in his mind spinning furiously, trying to crank out a decision, a solution.

"Brother, no..." he thought he heard Alphonse say, but Al's voice was soft and the storm loud.

Al. His brother. The one he loved. If given the chance, would Envy have saved Al? Or Ed? If they had been in a condition like that...tortured and in such an anguished state...? No. Envy would have laughed and kicked their bodies. He would have probably been the one tormenting them in the first place. Edward stalked forward with grim determination.

"Stop it!" a young voice rang out, piercing through the musty air. In the dim light, the dark forms of Sloth and Wrath seemed to materialize at the bottom of the wooden staircase.

Edward stepped back, eyes darting to and fro. Being trapped in a room full of Homunculi was never a good thing. Wrath darted forward, staring in horror down at Envy, his slitted pupils dilated from the darkness...or maybe because of the shock. He looked to be on the verge of tears...nothing but a little boy mourning his favorite, fallen, hero.

"Greed," Sloth stepped forward. Greed turned his dark, startled eyes toward her, Envy's limp body forgotten at his feet.

"Sloth," he all but growled, hoping fervently that she and Wrath ahdn't come to ruin his fun. He had been so close..."why are you here?"

"Dante sent us. She had a feeling you might over overboard...but I'm sure she never dreamed you would take it this far."

"You told the Elrics our secret!" Wrath snarled, his furious violet eyes finally turned away from Envy. The amythyst depths still betrayed the anguish he felt for the doppelganger.

Greed remained silent. True, he hadn't planned on taking it _this _far, nor had he thought about what Dante would do...the type of punishment she would dish out. And not the good kind, either. But seeing Envy below him, so weak, encrusted with crimson grime, made Greed break out into a grin.

"It was worth it," he hissed and plunged night-colored talons into Envy's back, digging out a fraction of the bone splinter. He held the split sliver tightly, and in one vicious movement, clawed a way out below the basement ceiling, shattering the window that had once peered with small, compact panes at the garden outdoors. Then Greed was gone, disappearing, wraithlike, into the grey rain.

Sloth frowned and was after him in an instant, her body moving like quicksilver in the liquid, moisture against moisture, doggedly tracking the twice betrayer.

Wrath paused, cautioning one more troubled glance at Envy, whose body was _still_ ravaged. He turned his huge, worried eyes toward Edward and Alphonse, who both stood in silence, unsure of what to do.

"Help him...please," and for once since Wrath had been tainted by evil, he was just a child again, a terrified child trying desperately to prevent the destruction of his idol, "please."

With that last plea, he jumped out the opening and ran off, into the darkness.

Edward's golden eyes roamed over Envy, concerned and distressed.

"What are we going to do?" Alphonse asked quietly, voice barely registering above the sound of rain.

Ed remained silent, wondering exactly the same thing.

* * *

**End Chapter Seven. Told you it was long. Hope you guys liked it...I have to say, I'm extremely proud of this chapter. And I gave no spoilers, did I? HA! IN YOUR FACE! IN YOUR-- ...I dunno, I might have...I don't pay much attention nowadays.**

**PS: I've begun an exceedingly disturbing FMA fancomic on my homepage called "Full Metal Asylum". If you think Envy looks good in an apron and Greed in a business suit and Garfield tie, check it out.**

**PSS: If you review, Wrath will give you a cookie.**


	8. Exigent

**Chapter Eight: Exigent**

**Sorry it's been so long! But there have been reasons, you know...I've got a job now, I'm starting to apply for scholarships and colleges, and I have lots of studying to do. Plus, I'm trying to get together a decent art portfolio...aheh...so much work.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA, but I think I should rule the dominion of _UTTER PAIN!_**

**And I get the distinct feeling that one of my readers listens to the comedic stylings of Brian Regan:thumbs up: **

**You guys really enjoyed those Wrath cookies, didn't you? Chocolate chip, biz-natch.**

* * *

The wooden inn creaked and groaned under the assult of the storm, as though it fancied itself a massive ship shoving through raging seas. Inside, the Demorest citizens had at first been whipped into a frenzy, hysterical in thinking that the dark form of some monstrosity would approach and begin tearing apart their only shelter. Edward had calmed them, however, assuring that it was not in a chimera's nature to go out in the middle of a storm and randomly attack a building. The tense lull had resumed, to some extent, though the townspeople were left wondering what it was that the small alchemist and his brother had wrapped up in that water-soaked, blood-stained blanket...the thing they had run up the stairs so urgently with.

* * *

In the brothers' room, the ticking of the wall clock counted down the seconds. They sat silently, staring at the figure on the bed. The brightness of the overhead lamps did nothing to dispel the inky darkness outside. 

Envy was still not better. His thin chest rose up and fell with each weak breath, face screwed up in agony, sweat beading so thickly on him that his ash grey skin developed a glistening sheen. Edward and Alphonse had absolutely no idea what to do...

Edward, only a few minutes ago, had been ready to kill Envy.

He had wrapped his gloved fingers around the sword's leather braided hilt, yanking it out of the dirt and flesh through which it had been embedded; he felt removing it might at least be doing Envy a kindness before Ed had to kill him; but he hadn't counted on the thick crimson spurt that rose in a jet from Envy's horrible wound as the steel left his body, along with the shallow gasp he had rasped out and his eyes screwed tight in pain...no matter how much Envy frightened him, the Sin was still a living creature...wasn't he? Hadn't he gone through enough? Did he deserve another chance?

And before Ed knew what was happening, he and Al were tenderly wrapping Envy in an old quilt, running out with him into the freezing rain.

And now here they were, a crazy murderous monster laying bleeding on the bed, and themselves stumped, at a loss for what to do. In any normal situation, a hospital would have been involved, of course...but this was Envy, the unhuman, and Demorest, the town whose only hospital had probably long ago been trampled on by an elephant-goat.

Minutes of silence reigned, only the storm outside and the clicking of the clock's second hand floating past Ed's ears.

"We have to get that bone splinter out of his body." Alphonse said eventually.

Ed snorted in contempt. He knew that.

Still, Al went on, "He won't be able to heal without it."

Ed felt his hands clench tightly on his knees. Al continued, "We need to take it out, bro--"

"I know what we need to do Al!" Edward snarled and leapt to his feet, deftly smashing his right hand into Al's helmet and knocking it off with a clang. It flew a distance and crashed to the floor with a clatter, the long horse-hair ponytail whipping alongside it, then falling limply onto the dirty wood. The hollow armor sat still for a moment, dark crimson of the blood seal glinting in Ed's eyes. Calmly, almost resolutely, Alphonse stood and picked up his helmet, securing it back on.

"I know this is stressful, Ed...but--"

"But what, Al!" Ed growled, looking away from him, "We'll remove that bone from him and then what? He'll heal and attack us!"

"He's been kind lately--"

_" Kind ?_This is Envy! He's not_ kind _! What the hell kind of planet have _you _been living on, Al!" Ed buried his face into his hands, shaking his head. It was all so wrong, so confusing...and yet he knew he had to do something soon. However execrable Envy was, he didn't deserve to remain in pain after he had suffered through it for so long...and yet he couldn't risk himself or his little brother being killed by Envy's hand.

He stood, a determined look glinting in his amber eyes...he walked over to Envy, kneeling down beside the bed and looking at him.

"I've got a plan, Al."

* * *

The pain that had been so piercing when it was new had long since died down to a dull throb, coursing through Envy's veins like the beats of a tribal war drum. Though his back still felt like it had been cleaved apart, though he was certain that several entrails had been ripped from his body, the pain had lessened in some way...he was away from his tormentor, he knew that. But what else did he know? His thoughts were fragmented, trickling like a dying stream through thick underbrush. 

He had been rescued, he knew that as well...and through his cracked, tear-glossed eyes, all he had seen was a vision of gold. It could have been an angel, if had he believed in those sorts of things. The idea of seraphim and guardians had always rather annoyed him, which was one of the reasons why he took it upon himself to prove to humankind that there was no one to save them, no one to help, no one to relinquish the grip of harm once it had found its prey...just as he had never been saved, nor helped, nor had managed to squeeze through the white-hot claws of torture and abandonment.

And yet he was shielded now, saved by something, someone, golden. Who would do that when no one else had? When he was just an experiment-turned-abomination, outcast and ridiculed, left alone in the darkness to become wicked and hateful, like a mere dog bred for fighting? Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt resentful, angry...and yet, a sense of overwhelming calm and gratitude had washed over him, soothing his pain. He settled into the feeling of wholeness, his strained mind almost forgetting who he was and what he had gone through.

Then there was a surge of fire in his blood.

He could have cried out, but he was too exausted; he could barely move as it was. His savior disppeared from blurry eyesight, and he felt ill on top of the torture wracking his ravaged body. A vision of crimson accousted him and he could feel life, as little as he had, slowly siphoning away.

Forgetting all his well-formed plans for vengenace and destruction, he waited tiredly for death.

* * *

Edward clapped his hands together and placed them tenderly on Envy's stomach, sending a jolt of alchemy surging through the Sin's body. As he brought away his blood-stained gloves, the Homunculus' torn muscles began to spasm and he coughed up tiny amounts of red stones that melted immediately into dark puddles. Knowing there wasn't much time, Ed flipped him over, dug two fingers and a thumb into Envy's back, and pulled out the splinter of bone. It glistened red and glutinous in his crimson-coated fingers. 

Envy was still coughing up the used stones. They melted into the bedsheets, staining any part that his blood had missed. And yet, at the same time, there was a blast of white-blue energy billowing through Envy's body, causing it to glow in the burning light. Though his abdomen shook with deep convulsions, his wounds were slowly beginning to mend, patching themselves over...

Edward and Alphonse watched carefully as Envy moved, bringing his arm tenderly to the side and pushing himself up, trembling, as he hacked up the red stones. The shining light was still playing upon Envy's body like a drawn-out transmutation, knitting tissue together as it had done so many times before.

Envy's coughing ceased and the red stones were no more. The light disappeared and his wounds stopped healing, having no power to run on. Still, the worst of the damage was gone. Envy lay on his side against the red-stained sheets, his violet eyes cracked open and staring at the wall, as if he were trying to figure out what had transpired since he had been captured by Greed.

Edward glanced cautiously at Al, then knealt down by the bed, looking at Envy.

"Envy...how do you feel?"

Envy looked up at him with tired eyes. He felt relief beyond all relief, the horrible pain was gone, the torture wracking his body was no more...and Edward was to thank. He had forgotten all his feelings toward the alchemist, all his hatred, everything...gazing into those amber eyes, he knew he had found the golden savior he had thought was an illusion in a dream. He sat up with slight difficulty; his midriff still felt tender and his back ached.

Edward frowned. The Sin was still a pitiful sight, still rather pale and sweaty, exhausted-looking, with dried blood and dirt plastered all over his body. "Envy, you should lay back down."

The doppelganger shook his head stubbornly, his long hair fluttering.

"No..." he said in a hoarse voice, scraping a bit of flaking blood off of his arm. He suddenly stopped and looked down at himself, eyes widening slightly. Last he remembered, he hadn't been wearing polka-dotted boxers. He gave Ed a weak, if not accusing, glare. The alchemist in question blushed and muttered.

"We couldn't leave you naked...and your clothes were all dirty and torn."

"Nii-san let you borrow some of his underwear," Al piped up, evidently glad that Envy seemed well.

"Al!" Edward yelled.

"Well, you did!"

Their banter didn't quite reach Envy's ears. At first he found it amusing that he had on Edward's underwear, however the amusement died out quickly as he remembered exactly _why _he had been naked in the first place. He suddenly felt much dirtier than he had a few moments ago. His body gave a slight shudder that did not go unnoticed.

"Envy?" Ed looked at him concerned, "like I said, you should lay back down...c'mon..." he gently pushed him back down onto the sheets, noting how filthy Envy was. "And later, when you feel better, you can have a bath or something..."

Envy layed back, shocking Edward as to how obliging the normally unruly Sin was...however, he supposed anyone would be like that after what Envy had gone through.

"I feel weak..." he breathed, gazing up at Edward. The alchemist noticed that without the influence of pure insanity, Envy's eyes had a slightly haunted look about them.

"Yeah...we...you...coughed up those red stones. So you won't be able to heal automatically anymore...you'll just have to rest and heal like us humans do."

He laughed at Envy's grudging expression. "Like I said, just rest..."

Envy sighed and settled almost immediately into a deep slumber. Edward watched him, smiling slightly.

"I think he'll be okay, Nii-san." Alphonse chimed softly. Edward nodded and brushed a strand of hair out of Envy's face.

"Yeah...the problem is, what will he do once he's healed?"

* * *

**Short chapter, I know...just be thankful I posted at all.**

**No! Don't leave me! I love you! Anyway, I'll be working on the next chapter at school, so it should be posted much sooner than this one was. Prepare for the funny to come back, along with a deeper insight to Envy and Ed's...ahem_...relationship..._**

**No cookies this time...Wrath and I set the stove on fire. Whoops...**


	9. Restoration

**Chapter Nine: Restoration**

**Yes! I know last chapter was pathetic...lucky for you guys, I've worked much harder on this one, despite the TWENTY-TWO projects I have to do for school. I'm not lying. Twenty-two. Count them. Hate them. Plus the two end-of-course tests I have to study for...**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own FMA...I own several hopes and dreams, which are stored in a pillow shaped like Al's head. I bring them out when things get tough, or when monkeys attack. Those damned monkeys...**

**This chapter be whare the funneh returns. Or at least I think so. Arrrr.**

* * *

Dawn's light trickled in through the open window, glancing across Envy's face. Through his eyelids, closed from sleep, he could see the dark red heralding daybreak. With a fluttering motion, his eyes opened, blinking blearily around the oak-stained room. 

His violet irises fell upon the small figure of Edward on the floor below him, slumped against the bed and snoring gently. A familiar, yet not often felt, wave of gratitude swept through Envy; Edward had stayed by his side after all. Grateful but wary, he stood, careful not to stretch his recovering muscles too much. With a quick glance downward, he saw that Edward and Alphonse had wrapped his wounds with white gauze. Yet, he was still covered in dried blood and grime, and the quilt on which he had been sleeping stuck to him. Peeling the fabric from his skin and stepping tenderly over Edward, he made his way to the door.

He had been planning on leaving the inn; he even made it as far as the end of the hallway before suddenly throwing himself in the nearest room and leaning against the rough door after he had closed it. He just couldn't leave...curiosity overwhelmed him. Why had Ed saved him? Such a thing was simply unheard of...pondering this, Envy looked up, noticing tiled walls and floors, along with porcelein fixtures and a shower, curtained with cheap blue plastic decorated with ducks.

_'Bathroom,_' Envy thought lamely, _'definitely a bathroom.'_ He was, admittedly, filthy...so as long as he was there...

He turned on the shower and stepped out of his boxers--Ed's boxers, he noted with wry amusement--then stepped through the curtains into the warm deluge.

For several minutes he just stood there, his mind thankfully blank. He didn't want to think about anything that had happened. One thought and the whole experience would come rushing back to him, he was sure of it.

"Envy!" a voice yelled out suddenly. The doppelganger pulled back the shower curtains slightly and peered into the room, blinking at the small alchemist standing in front of the shut door.

"What if it had been someone else in here?" Envy asked dryly, eyebrows raised. The grime that had matted his hair flowed in a muddy stream down his face.

"No one else would have had those," he gestured pointedly to the boxers laying in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"You never know...someone might have raided your underwear drawer." he responded in an uncharacteristic monotone. Edward blushed quite against his will, trying to ignore that statement.

"You should have taken off those dressings before you got in the shower."

"Dressings? _Salad_ dressings?" Envy asked blankly, "What the hell, did you two sprinkle me with Balsamic Vinaigrette?"

"How is it," Ed fumed, "that you know what Balsamic Vinaigrette is, but you don't know what those bandages wrapped around your body are called?"

"Well, I know now," the Sin responded matter-of-factly, "If you'll kindly let me bathe..."

"You have to take off those dressings first!"

"Relax, the water's probably washed all of it off already," he said in a bored tone.

"It's not that kind of dressing!" Edward roared as he lunged toward Envy.

* * *

Alphonse hummed slightly as he strode down the hall, carrying a tray of food to his brother and Envy. He was pleased with Envy's progress; the Sin seemed to heal much more quickly than they had originally planned on. 

_'Maybe after this, Edward and Envy will be nicer to each--_' his thoughts were interrupted by two painfully familiar voices coming from the nearest room. He paused in front of the doorway to the bathroom, listening to the yells accompanied by a snapping sound and a crash.

"Take them off, Envy!"

"No! What are you--you can't do that! I'm naked!"

"I don't care! C'mon, lemme--"

"Get off me!"

"Shut up and stay still!"

"Ow! Dammit, O'Chibi, that hurts!"

"It'll be easier on you if you don't move! Just--aargh! You BIT me!"

"That's what you get for touching me like that!"

"You're like a freakin vampire! Quit that, I'm almost finished!"

"Ow ow ow ow! Stop! I'm still tender, you bastard!"

The tray fell from Alphonse's hands with a clatter and he stared in horror at the wooden door. He turned the doorknob slowly, peeking inside with mounting apprehension.

"There, doesn't that feel good, Envy?" Edward asked, patting Envy on the shoulder, the discarded gauze dressings coiled like dirty snakeskins on the tiled floor. He and the Sin were both drenched, the shower still running. Envy sat, disgruntled, on the shower floor, the torn plastic curtains wrapped like a skirt around his waist. He peered disdainfully up at Edward through strands of obsedian hair, then looked over at Alphonse.

"What're _you_ lookin at?" he growled. Edward turned on the spot and looked at his brother, surprised, then grinned.

"Hey, Al! Look who's finally taking a shower," he yelled over the noise of the running water and gestured toward Envy. Unfortunately, he made the mistake of gesturing with his real hand. "Aaagh! Envy!" he cried out as the doppelganger's teeth clamped down painfully on two of his fingers, "let go!"

The Sin obliged in a sulky manner, looking scrutinizingly through the water droplets at the Elric brothers.

"You two gonna let me shower in peace now? Or do you get your kicks by watching naked Homunculi clean themselves?"

"Kicks?" Alphonse repeated inquisitively. Edward simply shook his head and pushed his younger sibling out the door.

"Let's leave him alone, Al," he looked over his shoulder and added to Envy in a slightly gentler tone, "I'll be outside the doorway if you need anything."

The door shut, leaving Envy staring, stupefied, through the water. He stood slowly, nursing his wounds and clutching the wall for support. The shower curtain fell away from his bony hips, crumpling around his feet. The water was spraying in all directions, but he didn't care. It wasn't his mess to clean up, after all.

All he thought about was the fact that Ed was actually helping him_...him._ His enemy...the person who planned to seduce him, and later on, kill him. It was a shock, though at the same time mollifying, enormously pleasing. But why was Ed acting this way? Was it because he was used to playing the hero, or had Envy's earlier advances paid off in some way? Whatever it was, Envy couldn't find anything to complain about.

His reverie was interrupted by a sharp pain in his stomach and his hands clamped instinctively over his abdomen. He felt the wound with a frown. It should have been completely healed...the other wounds had healed quickly, after all. Why had his powers of rejuvenation suddenly ceased? And what was this sensation of emptiness he felt, both mentally and physically? It was confusing and unsettling, but he chose to try and ignore it for the most part. Leaning back, he let the water wash over him.

* * *

"What are we going to do?" Alphonse asked quietly outside the doorway, looking down at his brother. Edward was sitting on the floor in the hallway, his back to the wall and his arms wound about his knees. 

"Take care of him...he seems pretty spry for someone in his condition, but he's still hurt, and basically helpless," he answered, sighing, "besides, there's a possibility that Greed might come after him. We can't let Envy go through that again."

Alphonse smiled mentally. He could hardly believe these words were issuing out of the mouth of a person who, a few days ago, had been ready to kill Envy. Still, it was an improvement; Alphonse may not have been too fond of Envy, but it was no use waging war on someone who seemed to be acting perfectly decent.

"So what are we going to do about the chimeras?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Dammit," Edward growled, "I had forgotten all about those mutants...if Mustang would just get off his lazy ass--"

He was interrupted as the bathroom door opened and, from a billowing mist of heady steam, Envy stepped into the hallway. Edward stared at the Sin, mouth agape.

He looked bizarre, as always, yet quite alluring with only a terrycloth towel wrapped around his thin waist. His pale skin shone with water, especially, Edward couldn't help but notice, on his muscular chest. Envy's slim arms were crossed over the damage on his stomach as if it were an embarrassment, and for once his hair seemed almost tame; it was full, and had momentarily lost its spinous quality. The water had dampened the long tresses to the point where they looked like the darkest ebony and he had removed his headband, which added to the effect...without it, he came across with much more elegance.

Envy looked down toward Edward, eyelashes flecked with silver droplets of water, and his soft lips parted...

"You really did stay," he breathed, but it wasn't offhanded or sarcastic...it had a sense of gratitude to it...his voice sounded much different that way.

"Y-yeah," Edward stammered in response, his widened amber irisis still locked upon Envy. The Sin's dark eyes gazed at him for a moment before he spoke again.

"Clothes."

"Cl--...w-wha...?" the golden-haired alchemist sputtered, his trance broken.

"Clothes. I need clothes."

"Can't you just make some appear...?"

"Nii-san, he's still hurting," Alphonse said, putting a hand to his brother's shoulder before a slightly disgruntled Envy, "don't make him materialize clothes for himself..."

"Oh_...oh!_ Right...come on," he stood and walked back toward their room, feeling very stupid and suddenly very aware of the soft sounds of Envy's feet padding along behind him, "We'll need to redress those wounds, too," he added after opening the door and beginning to search through his briefcase. Ed thought he heard Envy mutter something about salad, but he disregarded it.

He removed from the briefcase another pair of his own boxers and pants, along with one of his black tank tops. Envy looked down upon them with apparent disdain.

"Those'll be too small for me," he said dryly. Edward's eyes narrowed.

"Are you calling me a midget?" he growled in a suspicious tone.

"Maybe," Envy sighed, looking away wearily. Edward's expression softened upon seeing the exhaustion etched on Envy's face...was he still hurt so badly that less than thirty minutes of activity wore him out?

He put down his clothes...Envy wasn't much taller than he, but he realized the clothing might not be suitable for Envy's condition. Snatching an extra blanket from the closet in the corner, he transmuted it into a type of soft gown, handing it to Envy.

"This should be comfortable for you...I don't think you'll have any objections to wearing a dress anyway, considering you usually walk around in a miniskirt."

He had been expecting some form of obstinate resistance from the Homunculus, but Envy simply took the gown and slipped it on, then removed the towel. The alchemized gown's hem reached Envy's knees, and Edward, though he always knew Envy wasn't exactly a giant, finally appreciated how slight the Sin actually was.

He placed a hand on Envy's thin arm and guided him toward the bed, which had since been removed of dirt and blood. He lay Envy down gently and the Sin's head had no more hit the pillow than he had either fallen asleep or slipped into unconsciousness. Edward didn't know which, he couldn't tell...all he could do was watch over Envy and try, despite what the consequences might be, to rekindle his spirit.

* * *

Edward and Alphonse spent the days afterward caring for Envy. The Sin was a stubborn charge, but the brothers had expected this; they agreed to continue taking care of him until he either got better or reverted to his usual evil self. He was slowly recovering, but remained uncharacterstically silent and obliging. They couldn't tell if it was because he still felt bad or because, perhaps, he was grateful toward them. 

They were running out of funds, seeing as they hadn't planned on staying long originally. Edward had telephoned Mustang and asked him to wire some money over, which proved a horrible mistake as all the Colonel had done was rant about how Ed should have solved the chimera mystery by now. Edward had conveiently failed to mention thtat he and Al were busy watching over and injured Homunculus, so he took Mustang's yells for a good ten minutes before his ear began to hurt and he hung up.

"Mustang'll be sending someone to spy on us soon, I bet," Edward growled one day,  
if the innkeeper doesn't throw us out first."

"We_are_ running out of money," Alphonse sighed, his helmet rattling shallowly.

Envy, who had been laying on the bed staring at the ceiling, spoke for the first time in hours.

"I know where they're coming from," he said softly, not averting his gaze.

"You do?" Alphonse asked, a note of excitement in his voice. "Please tell us, Envy! That way we can stop them!"

"And finally get out this God-forsaken place," Edward added with a nod.

"First," Envy said, sitting up in a slow motion, "you two need to clarify something for me. There are no red stones in me anymore, are there?"

"No," Edward answered almost immediately, deciding that it was better to tell the truth than lie. Envy wasn't an idiot; a little juvenile, maybe, but he knew the Sin was extremely cunning and much smarter than he appeared, "there aren't."

The Homunculus gazed off for a while, then stood.

"For years a secret laboratory has been hidden near the cliffs surrounding this town...but the factory was raided and the chimeras have been escaping ever since."

"Why didn't you tell us that before!" Edward cried indignantly, also standing. Envy allowed himself a smirk.

"Well, you never asked, did you?"

"Who would ask _that_! 'Excuse me, Envy, but is there a secret lab hidden in the cliffs that the chimeras are crawling out of?' "

"Good, O'Chibi," Envy lowered his chin, looking at Ed with raised eyebrows, impressed, "if only you had asked that question from the get-go, hmm?"

"You...you...agh!" he tossed his hands into the air, "Fine. You stay here, Al and I will go check it out..."

"No," Envy stepped in front of him as they made their way to the door, "I'm going to. You haven't let me see the light of day for..." he paused, seemingly unable to find the right word, "well, days."

Edward rolled his eyes, but didn't argue. It was true that Envy hadn't been up and about as much as he should have...but he had been worried...

It was odd, the amount of emotion he was suddenly feeling for Envy...he felt weird, caring for someone who was much stronger than he, but it seemed necessary...and now that he had spent time with an Envy who wasn't viciously beating him into a pulp, Edward realized that Envy was actually...well, fun to be around. The Sin's sarcastic, dark sense of humour matched Ed's own perfectly.

Sometimes he had even watched Envy sleep at night, and a strange, unknown shiver would run through his body...

"Well?" Envy's voice suddenly snapped him back to reality, where he nodded dumbly.

"Yeah...sure...you can come..." he nodded, and Envy grinned, showing his white teeth. Edward felt his heart skip a beat and his hand trembled as he pushed open the door. "Come on..." he breathed quietly, watching as Alphonse walked out, watching even closer as Envy left...the swish of his long, long hair, the way Envy's transmuted gown creased around his waist with every graceful step he took...the strong shoulders and the luscious curve of his back as he--

'What are you doing!' his mind screamed as his body trotted excitedly after Envy. 'At least shut the door!'

Trying to ignore Envy's beauty and focus more on the rational, shrieking voice inside his head, his body reluctantly turned away from the Sin to shut the door.

* * *

**There we go! I gave you a longer-than-normal chapter to make up for the last one. And you can expect more soon...or should I say..._Ed_-spect! ...sorry. I'll stop.**

**I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out...I'll be gone next weekend, though, family time dont'cha know.**

**Incidentally, there's a huge spider that lives on my porch...I think it's been catching the neighborhood kids and feasting on their blood. Not that I have any objections...the neighborhood kids are annoying.**


	10. Guide

**Chapter Ten: Guide**

**Warning: Contains a spoiler...mwahahah..sorry.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah...nah, still don't own FMA. **

**And as quickly as it begun, it has ended. A victim of frictional unemployment, I am. Curse that Economics class for teaching me things...anyway, the new semester has begun. Creative Writing, Algebra 3, Painting and British Literature are what await me...**

**And for you, new chapters of Homunculus, He Wrote! WHEN WILL IT END? I don't really know.**

**Happy 2006 (my graduating year, whoo!)**

* * *

"Envy fancies himself a leader," Dante sighed, taking a cup of tea from Sloth, "when he is merely just a partisan. _My _partisan. This is the reason why I gave Greed the opportunity to punish him." 

Sloth swept a lock of silky brown hair out of her eyes as she peered down at the woman sitting before her. She had only just returned from a fruitless search for her elder brother. Had she been more apt at emotion, Sloth would have found Dante's lack of outrage toward Greed disgruntling. The Sin wasn't surprised that her master had ordered such a thing; truthfully, Envy _had _been taking control of the reins lately, something that she knew must have angered Dante.

"Master," Sloth bowed forward slightly, "With all due respect, don't you think we should worry more about Greed? He still posesses a fraction of the bone shard."

"I expected as much," Dante answered over her teacup, regarding Sloth with an amused expression. "He does not concern me at the moment, and he should not concern you either."

"And Envy?"

"Wherever he is, I'm sure he is recovering...all he needed was a slap on the wrist."

Sloth bowed again and turned away, her lips set in a thin, grim line. If such torture was Dante's idea of a slap on the wrist, Sloth feared seeing what her master's idea of a true punishment was.

* * *

It was a beautiful, cerulean day in Demorest, the kind of day that would have been much better if the townspeople weren't being terrorized by hideous monsters. None of the remaining residents were outside; only three beings dared walk toward the outskirts of the vanquished town. 

Edward, Alphonse and Envy traipsed along, the brothers wary against chimera attacks. Envy seemed thouroughly unconcerned however; he strode, perhaps not as quickly as usual, but with an overwhelming lack of interest in everything around him. Edward secretly wondered how Envy managed to be so carefree.

As they approached the craggy surfaces of the nearby cliffs, Edward felt a strange rush of emotions; some kind of chimera mixed from titillation and embarrasment. With a jolt, he remembered these were the very cliffs on which Envy had held him...kissed him...a heated blush appeared on Edward's face. Very aware of it, he looked away, desperately hoping Envy and Alphonse didn't notice.

"Around this side," Envy said with a bored sigh as they reached the foot of the cliff. He pointed toward a sparse cluster of bushes hugging the cliff wall, "this is the route to go if you don't want to bump into any chimeras."

"Right," Ed nodded, still keeping his face turned as much away from the Sin as he could manage. He pushed aside the foliage, ducking into a tunnel that seemed to have already been made there. Alphonse crouched over until his helmet was nearly level with his knees, and followed Edward in. Envy watched them, standing behind.

Honestly, he didn't feel up for this...he was tired and weak, though his wounds had finally healed. Not that he'd ever tell anyone that he was in pain...if he complained about something of the sort, he'd seem weak.

_'And I'm not,' _Envy snarled within his mind,_'weak.' _

"Hey!" Edward's voice came muffled from inside the leafy tunnel. "Aren't you coming, Envy?"

_'Coming?_' Envy thought, a hot blush seeping onto his ivory skin, _'but we haven't even...'_

Suddenly it struck the Sin what Edward really meant. Chagrined, he followed the two inside the tunnel, thankful that a seven-foot-tall suit of armor with the girth of a small car was blocking Ed from seeing his crimson face.

"Mmmnnumnh," he mumbled as an answer.

'_Mmmnnumnh_', roughly translated, is Flustered-Homunculus for: "Fine, I'll follow you, but next time choose a different set of words you idiot-bastard."

Still, Envy couldn't help but have his mind filled with a myriad of fantasies, all he had never even thought of before, all about Edward, and some involving whipped cream. Blushing even harder, the Sin kept his head down.

It only took a small amount of time before the tunnel through the bushes ended, and they found themselves staring at a large doorway carved neatly into the base of the cliff. The door itself lay a few feet away, pulverized.

"This is it?" Edward scoffed as they entered the laboratory. The walls were coated with metal, giving the place a cold, unfeeling look, but with books and equipment scattered everywhere and all the cages empty, their doors flung open, it was much less menacing than it could have been.

"Does it not suit his Highness?" Envy snapped, hands on his hips, "You wanted to know where the chimeras were coming from, and here it is, so don't complain."

Edward shot a glare in his direction, but said nothing. Instead, he began looking through the lab warily.

"Nii-san, I see no chimeras here..." Alphonse piped up, picking up an overturned table and setting it back on its legs.

"Me neither...you think all of them have escaped by now?"

"Idiots," Envy sneered, "If your eyes aren't showing you anything, use your ears."

Edward narrowed his eyes slightly, remaing silent as Envy had suggested...after a few moments, the distant sound of growls and screeches was heard, echoing through the cold metal room.

"So they're being kept further in the lab..." he strode to a doorway and entered it, Alphonse and Envy following close behind. Soon they came upon another room, filled with cages, some destroyed and empty, but others intact and holding some of the most disgusting creatures imaginable.

"There," Envy said impatiently, " You found them. Now can we get out of here, the stench is unbearable."

"But I'm supposed to get rid of them!" Edward exclaimed, a hand clamped over his nose to block out the horrible smell. Alphonse bent low and whispered to him.

"Nii-san, perhaps in this situation it would be best to call the military for reinforcements..."

"Why, Al? I can do this alone..."

"But," the armor responded, inclining his helmet ever so slightly toward Envy, "we have other things to take care of."

Edward stood in silence, mulling over Al's words...it was true, it seemed to be a lot to deal with both these chimeras and have to watch over Envy...besides, truthfully, he didn't even know what to _do _with the chimeras...kill them? That seemed awfully unjust. The ones in town had wreaked havoc, sure, but these in front of him had done nothing wrong so far.

_'Even chimeras_' he thought, remembering with heartache the sunny, smiling face of Nina, _'deserve to live.'_

Alphonse was right...it wasn't in his hands to decide. Besides, he had no way of understand the history of this lab...

"Yeah...we'll leave it to the military. Cmon, I'll go call Mustang..."

When he closed the door and walked away, they followed.

* * *

"You want _us_ to come over there and deal with it?" Mustang's voice sounded incredulous over the phone. 

"Basically, yeah," Edward said as offhandedly as was possible, "I figured that would be better...seeing as I'm out of money to stay here and I wouldn't know what to do."

"I ordered you to--"

"What's that, sir? I think the line is breaking up...if you can hear me, Al and I are going to be taking the first train out of here! We'll see you later, bye!" He slammed the phone down before the Colonel's outraged yells had a chance to reach his eardrums, "Well, that's that. The Colonel has no choice but to send troops down here now, since we're leaving and all..."

"Or find us and force us back," Alphonse added. His brother gave him what would have been a menacing glare, were his lower lip not sticking out in such a pouty way.

Envy saw it, and from his seat on the bed, gave an involuntary shiver. What the hell was happening to him? Was Ed actually...turning him on?

_'Ridiculous,'_ he thought. He had never, ever been turned on in his life, so far as he could remember, anyway...he definitely knew the human concept of sex, and all the slang and denotation that went along with it; he was far too old _not_ to know. But he himself had never indulged, had never wanted it. To him, there were far too many more fun tasks to carry out. Such as, oh, killing humans. He didn't care if they suffered or not. Truth be told, he often finished the job quickly and went on his way...but his desire to kill seemed to have slipped away, and in its place crept a new, foreign kind of desire...something that he was sure wasn't supposed to be inhabiting him...but it was so pleasing he didn't want to banish it.

Suddenly the Sin was aware of the awkward silence that filled the room...Edward and Alphonse stood a few feet away, looking fastidiously at him. A battle could be seen raging in Edward's beautiful eyes.

Envy was no fool, he knew what they were thinking: _'Should we leave him here or take him with us?'_

Frankly, even the Sin didn't know what he wanted himself...

What could he do? Rip up the powerful Contract of Semi-Trust with the Elrics, go on his way, be free again...but he had never really been free in the first place. Dante, with her controlling ways, had been hindering his movements for centuries. She had even, as Greed had so bluntly explained, was the one who was behind all this in the first place...it had been she who had sent Greed there, she who had ordered Envy's punishment...did Dante even care about the horrors Envy had gone through? The pain he had been forced to put up with, the assault unto his body and his pride...? No, Dante didn't care, he was sure of it. To her, Envy was just another pawn; and just as a chef who lost her best spoon, but could easily buy another one, Dante would simply replace him if he were to die.

You'd think a mother would care more for her child.

But it was too much to hope for. Earlier on in his life, Envy had wished Dante would love him like she was supposed to. He never knew why he thought she was supposed to care for him until he learned that he was made in the image of her son...but he had receieved no love and no kindness, and like a plant left in a sunless room, his mind and outlook blackened and shrivelled, causing a lust for blood to be spilt and a psychotic kind of perceptiveness that not even Dante could understand.

And if he didn't go with the Elrics, there was the possibility he'd run into Greed again, alone and defenseless. Envy wasn't afraid of him, he just wasn't ready for such an encounter; especially not while he was weak and vulnerable without red stones to power him.

Still, going with the two brothers wasn't going to make him much safer. After all, Edward and Alphonse didn't carry around red stones in their pockets and offer them to random Homunculi...but if he went back to Dante, would she even consider nourishing him?

It was all too confusing. The Sin flopped backwards on the bed, staring up at the memorized patterns on the ceiling.

"You coming, Envy?" Edward's voice echoed softly in the room. And without thinking, without even being ready for it, Envy's lips parted and the word sprang from his mouth like a frog leaping into the cool water.

"Yes."

* * *

Envy had been so shocked by his own eagerness to go along with Edward that the next few hours happened in a complete daze; he never knew quite what was happening at one given moment. There was the inn, Edward talking to some people, who seemed overjoyed...there was a platform, then there was...motion? 

"Something's moving," Envy said blankly as he finally began to snap out of it.

"We're on a train, Envy..." Alphonse said softly as though he were a nurse speaking to a mental patient.

"Train?" he looked about, and as Alphonse was said, he was sitting in a train carriage with the the brothers sitting in front of him, the landscape outside sweeping past.

"Are you sure you feel okay?" Edward asked, arms crossed and looking at Envy suspiciously.

"I'm fine!" he flared, dramatically swivelling his head to stare out the window. Unfortunately, this rebellious movement turned out to be a mite _too _dramatic, as he suddenly felt very dizzy, "Where...thehell'rewegoing...?" he asked, swaying where he sat.

Edward and Alphonse exchanged worried glances, then looked at Envy.

"We're going back to Central."

"Whythehell'rewegoingthere...?" he slurred, shaking his head to get rid of the dizziness. It wasn't a very effective method.

"To report back to the Colonel," Edward explained, "He'll be pissed, but we owe him a better explanation."

"You don't owe that bastard anything!" Envy snarled, his indigo eyes burning. Edward and Alphonse just stared at him.

"What the hell do you have against the Colonel? Do you have some kind of weird grudge against him too? I mean sure, he's a prat and all, but..."

Envy just crossed his arms and lay down on the uncomfortably hard seat, his bare feet pressed against the glass of the window.

He didn't really have anything against Roy Mustang...except that Mustang was a human, of course...so what _had _caused that little outburst?

_'Am I...jealous?' _he thought, frowning deeply. It was his namesake after all...but jealous of what? What possible quality of that dark-haired human could he be yearning for?

Admittedly, the power to blow stuff up with a snap of the fingers was tempting, but...

Envy's eyes suddenly went wide.

_'He spends time with Ed,'_ his mind whispered, panic-stricken in its realization. Then the horrifying thought that maybe Edward and the Colonel were a bit more than military boss and subordinate snuck into his subconscious.

"Hey...Envy? You okay?" he heard Ed's voice, seeming to come from miles away. Envy shot up like a rocket, staring with a frenzy at the alchemist.

"I don't care! I'll never care! That guy is a pedophile anyway, you can tell by looking at him!"

"Uh...Envy?" Alphonse asked timidly. Envy, tangled in a headlong somersault down a hill, couldn't seem to stop himself.

"Who does he think he is! I'll tell you; he thinks he's a god or something, but he's not! Why doesn't he go back to his native country!"

Edward sat, wide-eyed, and confusedly mouthed the words _"native-country",_ wondering exactly what the hell Envy was going on about.

"Envy," Alphonse said, trying to be helpful, "This_is_ Mustang's native--"

"No, Al," Edward placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, still staring in a shocked but curious way at Envy, "Just...no."

The rest of the train ride wasn't exactly enjoyed in silence; not with Envy swearing up and down, cursing Mustang's name...Edward learned that Envy's fuse didn't exactly blow out quickly. Still, Envy's incessant ranting kept the Sin from seeing Ed's eyes travelling intently to Envy's thighs; in Envy's acerbity, the alchemized gown had bunched further around his meager waist, exposing the deep red of the Ourobouros tattoo and a considerable amount of smooth, pearly skin...

Not that he wasn't used to seeing it...after all, Envy had long displayed a fair amount of his body, and now Ed understood why...where before he just though the Sin was incredibly peculiar-looking, he had realized just how beautiful Envy truly was.

The train chugged along, and Edward found himself swept into fantasies of his own.

* * *

**You like? Not much content in this one...but the next one will be better, as I usually say. Poor Ed, Envy really is a sexy biz-natch, isn't he? He won't be able to resist for long... XD The lovin will start soon, believe you me...**

**My stove is still on fire (you'd think the fire department would have come by now) , but I sent Wrath to the bakery...so...cookies for everyone!**

**PS. The whole "Mustang's native country" thing is an inside joke between me and my cousin...heheh...disregard completely.**


	11. Metamorphosis

**Chapter Eleven: Metamorphosis**

**BlackMercifulFaerie: Yeah, my cousin and I think that Mustang's half-...Xingian...too. Gah, it's just easier to call him Asian. And no, Envy won't get pregnant in this story...though that would be very amusing.**

**And thank all of you for reviewing! I signed on AOL to find that I had 22 E-mails and was like WTF! Of course, a good deal were from college things...but most came from reviewers! It makes me so happy...**

**Warning: Edward and Envy indulge in some _mild_ Mustang-bashing...don't get me wrong, I love Mustang...but...yknow...**

**Disclaimer: Do I look like I own FMA? What's that, you say? You can't see me? I am nothing but words? ...huh.**

* * *

There are moments in time that drag, thick and weary, as though a hundred-pound rock has been looped with a rope around one's waist, forcing the wearer to pull and pull as they trudge their way through life. And just like the earthy dent left in the soil, times like these had an impact on all lives, wether the rock-wearer knew it or not. Because, as Nature had proved so many times, the deep rock-carved canal could become so many things things; a stream, a plowed row on which to plant, or a trench clustered with flowers. 

Both Envy and Edward had sensed this...knew, in some way, that the end of Envy's healing phase would be the beginning of something new. What that was, they couldn't be sure, and they certainly weren't going to speak to each other about it. But the fact remained that the canal had been carved, and was waiting patiently for Human and Sin to turn it into something important, something desirable.

It had taken a record amount of time for Envy to cease ranting about Roy Mustang. Never before in Edward's life had he heard someone talk incessantly for so _long_. What was more, Envy was clever enough to never have to repeat the same thing twice, though he had taken an immense liking to referring to Mustang as "The Flaming Pony".

Edward reached into the luggage barracks to pull out his suitcase, his ears ringing now that Envy had finally grown silent, as Alphonse shuffled down the train's aisle, his calico kitten resting placidly in the palm of his hand. Envy was already standing outside on the train platform, hands resting on his angular hips. Central was busy, there was no doubt about that...the train station buzzed with activity.

Envy had gone out in public many times before wearing his usual skin; though Dante had often told him to choose a different disguise for every time he stepped out into the open. In the end, he most often chose to disobey her and prance about in his usual form of the scantily-clad, oddly attractive boy.

"Envy," Alphonse's soft voice sighed as the bulky suit of armor stepped up beside the Sin, "are you not able to transform?"

"Of course I am," Envy snapped, scowling, "I just can't regenerate when I'm injured. Why, do you want to fight me? Changed your mind about me, have you? Want me dead?"

"O-of course not!" Alphonse stepped back, as most people would do when a crazed Homunculus rounded upon them, "I-it's just that..."

"Is it your brother? Does _he_ want me dead? I figured he'd get tired of me eventually...I bet he just can't _wait_ to be alone with that Asian whore..."

"Now Envy," Edward yawned, striding up in time to hear the last three or four words Envy had spoken, "You shouldn't call Mustang a whore...no matter how true that is..."

"You gonna kill me?" Envy growled and leaned close into Edward, a challenging look set upon his fair face. Edward felt a slight shiver run through his body...not the usual _'Oh god he's going to kill me'_ shiver, but a _'why does he have to be so damn beautiful'_ shiver.

"Wasn't planning on it..." he said, pushing Envy away, "What's gotten into you?"

_'I'll tell you what I _want_ to get into me...' _Envy's mind trailed off, and he suddenly found himself back on the Slutty Express. He shook the thought out of his head; he desperately didn't want to be the trademark perverted Homunculus. That job already belonged exclusively to Greed...

Without warning, the glint died out of Envy's eyes and he was left staring blankly at the dirty concrete beneath the soles of his bare feet. The thought of Greed, the memory of what happened, was enough to render him immobile and ashamed. He couldn't stop it...he could barely tell what was happening...the next thing he knew, he was being shoved into a couple dozen stacks of boxes waiting to be loaded onto the train. When he finally came to his senses, he saw Alphonse's broad back towering above him, trapping him in the nook made by the containers.

"What the hell! Let me out!" he shouted at the empty iron suit. Alphonse simply turned his head slightly to look at Envy.

"Shhh! You can't be seen by him!" he whispered in an urgent voice, "It's best if you just transf-- Oh! Hello! How are you?"

"You know damn well how I am!" Roy Mustang's voice sliced through the air like the blade of a guillotine toward the neck of its intended victim.

Edward grimaced. The Colonel looked even more peeved than usual, which was never a good thing. He wondered silently how it was that he had gotten to know so many incredibly frightening people...Mustang...Envy...and oh god...Izumi...she topped them all.

"Edward! I thought I ordered you to take care of the chimera situation in Demorest!"

"Yeah...I thought so too. Must've been wrong though, huh?" Edward laughed nervously, amber eyes darting toward Alphonse, "otherwise, why would we be here?"

"I'm going to have you court-martialed," Mustang growled, his dark (and now that Envy had mentioned it, rather Asian-looking) eyes narrowing, "I swear..."

"No, you're not..." Edward grinned coyly, waggling a metal finger at Mustang, "We're too valuable, right? I mean, you need us to be pushed up in the ranks...that IS the whole reason you recruited me in the first place, right?"

Mustang gave Edward a look of pure animosity.

"Yes...and I regret that every day. It's not like you two have helped. The point is, you directly disobeyed my orders. And for that, you'll pay."

"You're not going to make us go back there, are you?" Alphonse whimpered in the saddest tone he could muster.

"No, Al," he sighed, feeling that it was completely unfair for a spike-covered suit of armor to be so adorable, "I've already arranged for a divison to be sent to Demorest to take care of the problem. Still, Edward _does _have to do a report on all that transpired in the town while you two were there...not to mention clean up the entirety of Central Headquarters," he glanced smugly at Edward, finding immense joy in the outraged look on the boy's face.

"Why do we have to clean up the damned Headquarters?" Edward seethed, "Don't you have custodians to do that?"

"Yep. But now you get to help them. Set up a room in the dorms, then start working on your report. I expect it by tomorrow morning."

"Bye Colonel..." Alphonse sighed, then gasped softly as a burly man edged past him toward the boxes.

" 'Scuse me, sir, we gotta load these up," the man said with a grunt, hefting up a towering stack of containers. A small girl darted out from cowering amongst the remaining boxes, making a beeline straight for Edward and clinging to his trousers.

"I lost my daddy!" she sobbed, her tiny fingers digging into the dark material of Ed's pants. He placed a hand on her head, extremely grateful that, while Envy may have been a raving lunatic, at least he wasn't stupid.

"Don't worry...we'll find him, okay?" he bent down and picked Envy up, wrapping his arms protectively about the disguised Sin before giving Mustang what he thought to be a helpless look, "We'll have that report for you...but for now we gotta help this girl. Cmon, Al."

"Yes, Nii-san!" Alphonse nodded, grabbing Ed's suitcase and trundling off after his brother, followed by Mustang's narrowed eyes.

* * *

It was only until they were in the safe sheltered walls of the military dorms that Envy deigned to shift into his usual form. Having tired of its odd feel against his skin, he discarded the alchemized gown for his usual clothing. Back in Demorest when he had been recovering, he'd checked quite extensively for any notice of scarring, inspecting his stomach warily, then twisting painfully in front of a mirror to examine his back with straining eyes. It was only after an hour or two of looking over his entire body that he remembered he was a doppelganger, and as such could smooth out any scars that had appeared. Needless to say, his temper had been charged the rest of the day. 

So the cream white gown no longer graced his bony frame, rather the tight black fabric stretched across his white skin. He sat on the bed, one muscular calf crossed over his serpent-marked thigh, gazing mellowly at what had to be the most boring wall to ever exist.

"Envy," Edward came in, carrying a bundle of blankets, "Al's gone to get us and the kitten some food...I've set up a place for myself on the couch, you can have the bed in here."

Envy managed a snort in response, which was Edward's cue to leave. But the Alchemist set the blankets on the bed, then stood in front of Envy, staring down at him.

"What do you want, O'Chibi?" Envy's dark eyebrows arched under his headband, "Can't you see I'm trying to memorize the wall patterns?"

"There's plenty of time for that later. All the walls in this place look the same anyway. I wanted to ask you something."

"Spit it out, then."

"Why did you...back then...yknow, before Greed..." his voice trailed off as he sought the right words.

"Beguile and captivate you?" he asked blandly, his vertical pupils flitting up to Edward, who nervously helds his arms at his sides. Usually Ed would have stuffed his hands into his pockets in an attempt to be casual, but bad experiences with Envy had taught him to always be wary.

"_Try_ to beguile and captivate me!" he corrected, " But yeah...I guess you could call it that."

"It doesn't matter," Envy shrugged, laying back against the bed, fingers entertwined beneath his obsedian hair.

"Doesn't matter? You tried to seduce me! I think that matters! I wanna know what was going through your head, and I wanna know now!"

"You sound like a spoiled brat. I'm not trying to seduce you now, so why don't you just drop it and get on with your life?"

"Because I need to know! First you pummel me every time I see you, then you suddenly do a 180 and start hugging and kissing me! It's not normal!"

"Prolly not."

"What do you mean by that? It's not normal _at all_. How can you be so unconcerned? It's---AUGGGH!" Edward yelped as Al's kitten jumped from a nearby bookshelf onto the back of his head. He bowled over from surprise, landing prostrate right on top of Envy. The cat mewled in satisfaction, having sufficiently attacked Ed's braid, and trotted off in search of a saucer of milk.

Edward froze...there was no recovering from this one. His mind and body were in shock, they had nothing to say to each other. Slowly he began to come to his senses, ready to spring away from Envy and accuse it all on the stupid cat.

However right as Edward had it in his mind to jump back, Envy's slender arms came twining around his waist, the thin semi-gloved hands smoothing out the material of Ed's jacket, roaming over the black pattern of the flamel. The flamel; the symbol of creation, of new life...the exact opposite of what Envy himself wore on his thigh.

"Why..." Ed's voice came out, small and soft.

"Shut up," was Envy's murmered response as his mouth sought out the Alchemist's, and at last found it.

Whatever Edward wanted to say was cut off by Envy's tongue outlining his lips. He felt the pull on his hair as Envy's hands came to the back of his head and carressed the flaxen strands. Edward was dumbfounded, of course, but Envy had been acting this way for a while...and it felt so good...his hands closed tight onto Envy's shoulders, returning the kiss with a half-open mouth, his tongue finding the Sin's and dancing with it.

"Envy..." the Alchemist's voice heaved forth while Envy's lips strayed, finding the soft skin of Edward's neck and biting down gently. His lips closed over the bite marks and he sucked on the indentations, breathing in the scent of Edward's golden-hued hair as the boy in question moaned softly.

Edward wasn't very experienced with these things, but at the moment experience wasn't needed; his body was telling him what to do, guiding him through whatever this was, this thing that made the painful burden he carried dissolve into nothingness. He settled his head in between Envy's shoulder and neck, lapping at the Sin's ear. Judging by the gulp of air Envy took, and his hands clutching Ed's hair tighter, he had liked that...Ed did it again, biting gently on Envy's earlobe and relishing more than expected the low groan that came trembling from Envy's throat.

Through their twisting movements and increasingly heated moans, they failed to notice that the door, which had been open moments before, was now closed.

Alphonse crouched in the main room of the dorm, watching the little calico bolt down the contents of a cat food tin. He'd been disturbed to find his brother and their enemy passionately making out, but he knew it wasn't his place to question it. Al might have been naive and gullible, but he wasn't stupid; his phantom eyes had seen the looks on Ed and Envy's faces. Though he hadn't exactly been expecting it, he wasn't as shocked as he thought he should have been.

"As long as Nii-san is happy, right Tar-Tar?"

The kitten looked up at Al, licking food from its whiskers and wondering where the suit of armor came up with such names.

And when night had spread its star-studded velvet across the gleaming city, Tar-Tar curled up and slept through the darkness on the vacant couch.

* * *

**Mwahahah..."vacant couch? Does that mean--" It means whatever you think it means! I'm not telling (right now at least).**

**Short chapter, I know. Sorry! Oh, and it's research paper time at school...so...new updates will be slow(er) until it's all over with...**

**Also, if you want to see a shounen ai picture of Envy and Ed I drew, just go to my profile and click on homepage.**

**Wrath and Envy filled Alphonse up with cookies, so take them at your leisure.**


	12. Interlude

**Chapter Twelve: Interlude**

**Been sick...hallucinations...whatnot...blah.**

**Disclaimer: Nope...still don't own FMA...**

* * *

Colonel Mustang slapped the fringe of paperwork onto the desk's hard surface. The bold, black text stared tauntingly up at him, standing out against the crisp white of the paper. It was almost as if the paperwork was insulting him...but he knew better. Paper was only paper, after all. Why blame an inanimate object when you could just as easily blame a subordinate? 

And Mustang blamed Ed.

The Full Metal Alchemist had yet to show up and present his report on the chimeras in Demorest. Mustang had been looking forward to this day...not only recieving the report and being able to pacify the higher-ups, but being able to watch as the once-cocky Full Metal Alchemist trudged about Central Headquarters, reduced to cleaning up garbage...it had been the stuff of Mustang's dreams for close on five years. He should have known that the little runt wouldn't show.

"Hawkeye!" he yelled, trying his best to avoid the glaring paper.

"Sir?" the woman looked up from thumbing through a file.

"Where's Edward?"

"How should I know, sir?" she asked in montone. Mustang growled and put a hand to his forehead.

"That kid is in so much tr--" he was cut short as the phone rang. He picked it up, eyes narrowed, "Colonel Mustang's office."

"Hi, Colonel!" Al's youthful voice twittered from the other line.

"Alphonse...where's your brother?"

"Oh, he's sick!"

"...sick?"

"Yeah! It's awful! He slept in the bathroom last night...to see him so pale is heartwrenching, Colonel. Absolutely heartwrenching! But don't come see him because you'll get sick too."

"Alphonse, are you lying to me?"

"I would never, Colonel!" Al laughed, sounding a little unsure, "Brother will go to your office when he feels better, I promise."

"Al--"

"_Bye, Colonel!_ " he yelled, the line clicking.

Mustang set the phone back down and realized with a sudden jolt that, despite years of thinking otherwise, Alphonse was just as crazy as Ed.

* * *

The first thought that hit Edward as he stirred from deep sleep to find the morning sun streaming through the window and highlighting the beautiful features of the Homunculus that was sleeping beside him was: 

_'What the hell have I done?'_

Then:

_'Oh my god. What the hell?'_

And:

_'Am I on drugs? Please tell me I am.'_

The memories of the night before came rushing back as if a dam created by sleep had suddenly broken, loosing torrents in his mind. A warm tongue licking his ear, thin hands feeling all over him, the sharp, needy moans of Envy's wonderful voice...god, it had been amazing. But so many things seemed wrong now that the feeling had passed.

1. Envy and Edward were supposed to be enemies.

2. They were both male (well, Envy less so, but still...)

3. Edward was only 16.

4. _Envy was ancient. _

5. Envy had just recovered from being tortured.

6. And raped.

7. And was kind of not human...

8. When did either of them start having an interest in things like this?

And number 9, the topper on Ed's list due to intense brotherly love and years of being practically joined at the hip...

_'Does Al know!' _

With that thought, Edward launched himself out of bed to go make sure Alphonse knew _nothing_ of what had happened. Halfway toward the door he realized he was still naked, and attempted to grab his trousers while still running, which resulted in him tumbling headfirst onto the floor, the pair of pants laying on top of his head, which was pretty much the exact opposite place he had wanted them.

"What are you doing?" Edward jolted slightly as Envy's voice jeered. He pushed the pants leg out of his face, golden eyes drinking in the gorgeous figure of the Homunculus who sat nonchalantly in bed, dark hair spilling across bare back and covers pooled around his thin waist.

"I was...just..."

"You were just...what?" Envy asked with a definite purr in his voice. It took Edward a moment to notice the Sin had slunk off the bed and was crawling furtively toward him. When he got to him, Envy cupped Ed's cheek with one delicate hand and he leaned inward, tongue darting out to lick Ed's ear and delighting in the shiver that rocked the Alchemist's body.

Envy had been abandoned far too many times throughout his different lives. He sure as hell wasn't letting Edward get away.

"Envy...you don't have a...p-problem with wh-what we did?" Edward sputtered, reluctantly turning shining eyes up towards Envy's.

"Why should I?" he pulled the pair of trousers off Edward's head and pushed him down, crawling slowly on top of him, "I mean, I didn't find anything wrong with it...did you?"

"W-well...no..." Ed answered with a blush. Aside from the pain at first, he couldn't think of anything...

"Then don't complain, my not-so-little one..." he soughed, rubbing his naked body against Ed's.

"Aaah...En...vy..." Edward moaned, skin swept with a pinkish tinge. His hands reached up, tangling themselves into Envy's wild hair. Edward had never missed his real limbs more; he wanted to feel _all_ the Sin had to offer.

Envy felt the same way. That one night had healed him more than a month of bedrest and countless tablespoons of disagreeable medicine could accomplish. Forget Aesculapius; Aphrodite and her paramour were much better healers.

Envy licked the ridge of Ed's Auto-mail arm, feeling with his hot tongue the slight elevation of those awful scars. The Alchemist's breath hitched and he squirmed beneath the Sin, eager for more. Envy smirked against Ed's tanned skin. If Shrimpy wanted more, he'd get it. The Homunculus went down upon Edward with a passion, thrusting his tongue into Ed's mouth and moving his hands all over the boy's body. Edward moaned into Envy's mouth, writhing under him. Envy's bony knee pressed with gentle pressure between Ed's deliciously spread legs.

"Envy...yes...please..." Edward panted after his shrill yelp of pleasure, trying with desperation to pull Envy as close to him as possible.

"Ahh...Chi...bi..." the Sin hissed, pressing his hips into Ed's.

Silently, someone approached outside.

* * *

"It'll be okay, Tar-Tar," a rather disturbed Alphonse whined, rocking back and forth in a fetal position, "Just ignore the noises...Nii-san and Envy are just...wrestling..." Tar-Tar sat in Al's hands, looking up at him with captivating baby-cat innocence. 

KNOCK, KNOCK

"Nyo?" Tar-Tar asked.

KNOCK, KNOCK

"Someone's at the door," Alphonse said softly.

KNOCK, KNOCK

"Nyo," Tar-Tar agreed.

Alphonse slowly pushed himself up, trundling with the kitten in hand to the door. He unlocked and opened it, peering out into the hall.

"Hey, Alphonse," Havoc waved, talking through the cigarette clenched between his teeth.

"Oh! Um...hi! W-why are you here?"

"The Colonel sent me here to see if Ed was really sick," he answered, a sour look suddenly appearing on his face, "he couldn't come himself because of all his 'paperwork'. We all know he's not doing anything...he probably just didn't want to get sick himself."

"Oh, um...well, _you _don't want to get sick, do you?"

"Hell no," Havoc answered, glaring down the hallway with a scowl, "I bet Mustang would like that, though...he's probably just waiting for the minute I get sick so he can ease in on that pet shop girl I've been seeing..."

"Have you really been seeing her, or just going in there everyday pretending to be interested in buying a puppy?"

"I...hey! That's none of your business! Now where's Ed?"

"He's sick!"

"I have to see him, Al! Colonel's orders!"

"Um...hold on..." Alphonse slunk back, knowing that if he _did_ eventually manage to send Havoc away, more would just arrive. Fuery, Breda...maybe even Hawkeye! And Hawkeye was scary. Havoc entered, having the distinct look of a budgie who'd had its feathers ruffled by the family cat. Alphonse edged toward the bedroom door, knocking gently and wishing Envy and Edward would be more...well..._silent_.

"_Aaah_...oh...Envy...did you...did you h-hear...something...?"

"Shut up...you..._sexy_...b-bastard..."

"_Niiii-saaaaan..."_ Alphonse whimpered, knocking again harder, "Someone's here to _see_ you..."

"Oh god! Envy! Someone's here! We've gotta-- _ooooooh_...oh...Envy...y-yes..."

"We...don't...gotta...do...nothing!" Envy panted, rocking his hips against Ed's.

"Aaaaah...god...Envy...stop...they'll...see..."

"Not if...we...keep...the...door closed..."

"Brother!" Al's voice called out again, "Havoc's here!"

"Envy!" Edward gathered up his courage, shot down his libido, and pushed Envy off, "we can't do this if Havoc is here!"

"Why not?" Envy asked with a surly pout, crossing his arms in discontent.

"B-because!" Edward stood a bit too quickly, grimacing as he picked up his trousers, "I mean...he'll tell Mustang! The military can't know I'm sleeping with a Homunculus!"

"I could turn into someone else..." Envy sighed as if Edward were a talking amoeba that had just crawled out of a museum display of primordial ooze.

"I'd rather they didn't find out I'm sleeping with _anyone_," Edward snapped, easing on his pants, "I'm only 16, after all..."

"You just want to see the Flaming Pony, don't you?"

"No, Envy!" Ed growled, beginning to run his words together, "I-do-not-want-to-see-the-Flaming-Pony-in-fact-I-don't-_ever_-want-to-see-the-Flaming-Pony-but-sometimes-I-_have_-to-see-the-Flaming-Pony-or-I'll-get-fired."

"Sure, _fired_. Like a cork-gun..."

"You're not even making _sense_!" Edward rolled his eyes, slipping his shirt on, "Listen, I gotta do this...I was supposed to be at Mustang's office a while ago anyway...for my punishment, which I got thanks to you..."

"Nii-saaaaaaan..."

"Just _go_!" Envy snarled, glaring at Ed, "so that tin can out there will shut the hell up!"

Edward shot Envy a look before donning his red coat and stepping out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Brother!" Alphonse whispered, "you need to look si--"

"Ed?" Havoc asked, approaching, "you don't look sick to me..."

"Sick?" Edward asked, staring at Al, then laughing a little weakly, "Oh yeah...sick...well..." he coughed experimentally, clutching his chest, "it comes and goes..."

"Yeah, _coming _with me and_ going_ to see Mustang. Nice try, Ed."

"Dammit."

"Al too."

"But I can't leave Tar-Tar alone with Env--ty...envty...empty...an empty food dish!"

"Your cat will be fine here alone Al," Havoc sighed, "just please come on, so everyone can get on with their lives..."

"Yeah, Al...it'll be okay...let's go..."

Alphonse cast a worried glance backward, set Tar-Tar down, and followed Havoc and Ed out.

* * *

Midday found Edward Elric knee-deep in a compost heap that had been "mistakenly" dumped in the Central Headquarters courtyard. Edward, however, severely doubted that it had been a _mistake_...especially since the compost heap seemed to have been strategically placed within clear view of Colonel Roy Mustang's office... 

"Just look at him out there," Mustang sighed contently, watching Ed, "finally...I've been--"

"Dreaming of this moment for five years," droned in unison the voices of Hawkeye, Havoc, Breda, Falman and Fuery.

"So you guys _do_ pay attention," he turned to look at them, an unwavering smirk set on his handsome features, "I'm glad."

"Don't you think this is a little cruel, sir?" Hawkeye asked unblinkingly, "I mean, _setting_ trash out there for him to clean up?"

"Yeah, Colonel. Loosen up," Breda added. Mustang's smirk just widened as he sat down, crossing one leg over the other.

"It'll help build character."

"I think the kid's _got_ enough of that already," Havoc muttered.

"It's the least he could do anyway. He didn't even work on that Demorest report," Mustang sighed, leaning back in his chair, "and from what I've heard, he and Alphonse pretty much just stayed at the hotel the entire time they were there."

"Hold on, chief," Havoc said, looking up, "I heard they were taking care of someone who'd been injured in a chimera attack."

"They were taking care of _someone_," Mustang nodded, "that we know. But we don't know _how_ they were hurt, or _who_ they were."

"Is it really that important to know?" Fuery asked timidly. The Colonel simply closed his eyes, shoulders sagging a fraction.

"With things concerning Full Metal," he said slowly, "I think it's wise to know _all_ the details."

* * *

"I don't know _who_ O'Chibi thinks he is..." Envy grumbled murderously, pacing back and forth in front of Tar-Tar. The kitten watched, swivelling its head to and fro with the Sin's movements. 

Envy had long since bedecked his body in his usual attire, and he doubted that there was a single wall in the place he _hadn't_ punched a grapefruit-sized hole in. He was angry, there was no doubt about that; Aphrodite and Eros had taunted Envy with ambrosia, only to yank it away as his mouth had opened for another sweet bite. There was no one now, just the kitten, and Envy finally realized the truth; he hated being alone.

He was used to it, sure, but he despised it. He wanted someone, _needed_ them, even...and Edward was that one. He wanted the Alchemist, to have, to keep forever and never let go. The scurrility of it all! For Edward to leave him...just as...no, Edward was different from Hohenheim. Envy _hated_ Hohenheim, and he _wanted_ Ed...

Want. Envy was familiar with that word. Far too familiar. He sighed, leaning against the windowsill and closing his eyes.

_Radiz malorum est cupiditas_

_'The root of all evil is desire.'_

So true. He pondered the thought for a while before realizing he was tired of thinking. Not to mention it seemed to have gotten darker...whoturned offthe sun? His eyelids flickered open, and he found himself staring into the glinting violet depths and vertical pupils of another.

* * *

**Whoo! I rushed through this. I finished most of it all in one night...my back aches.**

**I've been thinking. Though this fanfic is FAR from over, I have an idea for another one...one that involves good ole Roy-boy Mustang, death, and...horse plushies. I might start working on that one. Anyway...review, please! Maybe then my temperature will go down! NATCH**


	13. Resist

**Chapter Thirteen: Resist**

**Aheh...heh...been a while...sorry bout that...but I had researh papers and exams, then Kingdom Hearts II came out...and you know...GAH! That Riku is one sexy biznatch...**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own FMA!**

* * *

"Damn that guy," Edward sighed irately,plunking down onto the rusty old bucket that was his temporary chair and wiping a sleeve across his brow, "He gets some kinda sick satisfaction from watching me sweat." 

"I guess so," Alphonse answered, busily unloading a wheelbarrow half-full of cinder blocks. Ed swivelled around to look at him, frowning in concern. The entire day Alphonse had either been saying nothing or talking nonstop, and no one could tell when or why he would do which.

However, Edward was definitely close enough to his brother to tell that when Alphonse was acting this way, he had found out something he shouldn't have. An apprehensive tremor shook Ed's body; he had a slight idea of what the matter might be.

"Um...A-Al?" he asked, voice quavering and cracking though he tried to keep a calm tone, "Is anything wrong?"

"What?" Al squeaked, lifting his head up so quickly it gave a resounding metallic clank, "N-no! Of course not, Nii-san! Why would anything be wrong?"

"I...um...I dunno..." Edward mumbled, glancing away.

'Dammit!' his thoughts raged, blood pounding like an angry drum in his head, 'Al knows! Oh god...what if he saw us! What if I've scarred him for life! My own brother!'

"Nii-san."

"Yeah, Al!" Edward swirled around to look at Al again, practically breaking his neck in the process. The armor had paused, stooping low from unloading the blocks.

"You know...I just want you to be happy," his voice, though it echoed hollowly through his empty shell of a body, brimmed with love and sincerity.

"Al..."

"I mean it, Ed. As long as you're happy, I am."

"Thanks, Al..." a smile spread across Edward's full lips and he looked down at the grass, gazing upon a pill bug that crawled doggedly across the ground.

* * *

Envy didn't get scared. Fears were for the weak, and therefore couldn't possibly have anything to do with the powerful Homunculus. The Sin was cruel, he was crazy, he'd force you to eat telephone books until your stomach bubbled over and exploded with billous curds. And then he'd simply laugh, then maybe trot off to spread a few plagues or cause a couple of wars. It was all in a good day's fun. Envy didn't get scared. He got irritated.

And so, he had been very irritated when the window had flung open and the most annoying of his Homunculus brethren had swung into the room like a spider monkey on cocaine.

"Envy!" Wrath squealed, propelling himself forward with the speed of a hungry cheetah and tackling Envy in a tight hug. Envy, who was still a bit irritated from thinking Wrath had been Greed, stood silently, eyes wide and staring at the smaller Sin, "What's wrong, Envy? Those Elric bastards took care of you, right? You look a lot better! I missed you! It was kinda scary what happened, Sloth went to look for Greed but she couldn't find him and so I told her--"

"Wrath."

"Yes, Envy?"

"Shut up."

"Okay, Envy," the child backed away slightly, eyes cutting to the side, "you look better now..."

"Are you implying that I ever looked bad?"

"No! I mean...yes? Well...um...for a while..."

"I thought I told you to shut up!"

Wrath winced as if Envy's words cut through his skin and looked at the ground, poking at a creaking floorboard with his big toe.

"I know...I was just excited to see you again. Anyway, Dante...Dante wants you back."

Envy looked down shrewdly at the child, one eyebrow arched. His muscles were tensed, his frame erect from anger.

"She wants me back, huh?" he simpered after a few moments, a crazed glint appearing in his already wild eyes, "After she told Greed to do all that to me. Huh! I'm not going back!"

"But, Envy!" Wrath gasped, amazed that anyone would defy Dante's wishes, "you have to! I mean...if you don't..."

"If I don't, then what? I know I'm worth nothing to that old crone anyway! If she tries to kill me, I'll die attacking her and that bastard Greed!" the Sin rasped, swinging a hand to the side for emphasis.

"Envy..."

"Wrath...just leave. I'm happy here, for the time-being. And you want me to be happy, right?"

"I...guess so..." the child answered slowly, huge eyes gazing inquisitively up at Envy.

"Goood..." Envy wheedled, smiling, "And what would make big brother Envy happy...?"

"Leaving you alone...but Envy, surely you can't be happy with the Elri--"

"At least they don't try to get me raped," Envy said flatly, brows drawn closely and shadowing his dark eyes.

"...I'm sorry..."

"Just leave, Wrath...and tell that bitch Dante I'll go back to her when I'm good and ready," Envy turned Wrath around, putting his palms to Wrath's back and pushing him steadily toward the window.

"Right..." the child nodded, crawling back out from whence he came. He swung off a gutter pipe and into the alleyway, taking off like a shot into the darkness. His mind was filled with thoughts as he loped along; something was wrong with Envy. Not that Wrath blamed him for acting even more unusual than he normally did. What Greed had done was inexcusable, and Dante was to blame as well. He was full of conflicting forces. On one hand, there was Sloth, his mother...he'd do whatever she wanted, and she wanted to obey Dante. But on the other hand, there was Envy. Sure, he was cruel and hateful and had a pechant for kicking people ( '_really hard'_ Wrath nodded grimly to himself) but Wrath felt an odd connection with the much older Sin...maybe because Envy was the one who gave him the Red Stones, maybe because Envy had explained so much about life to him.

But whatever it was, the bond was there, and Wrath couldn't deny that he cared for Envy.

* * *

"So, Ed, did you have fun?" Mustang asked with a smirk, gazing in satisfaction at the ridiculously filthy alchemist.

"Yes sir," Ed snarled, "So much fun it hurts..."

"You should have obeyed your orders better, Edward," was Mustang's flat answer, "I'd like to think that you've learned your lesson, but I know there's no hope for that..."

"Damn straight..." Edward muttered under his breath. Alphonse, who was just as filthy and standing beside him, sighed softly.

"Brother...just take your verbal beatings and get it over with so we can go back and get clean. I think I'm starting to rust..."

"Before you leave, Full Metal, I have something to ask you."

"Sure...shoot..."

"Who did you take care of in Demorest?"

Edward's head snapped up. He looked at the Colonel with wide eyes which were soon after narrowed defensively.

"A villager. She was hurt pretty badly..."

"What was her name?"

"She never told us. Can we go now?"

Mustang sighed, realizing that there wasn't much of a chance of milking it out of Edward yet...he'd save that for later.

"Yes, Edward, you can go..."

With that, the Elric brothers took off down the hallway.

* * *

"How's the Flaming Pony?" Envy asked dryly, raising an eyebrow at Edward and Alphonse reentered the dorm, "and why are you two so filthy?"

"We had to clean...you knew that," Edward growled in response, throwing his sodden jacket on the floor as Alphonse left to check on his kitten. Envy smirked slightly, running a hand through Ed's hair.

"Perhaps. You need a shower."

"Y-yeah...so?" the boy looked up, blushing, into Envy's eyes, "you gonna wash me, or something?"

"Hn...maybe...I know you want me to..." the Sin purred into Ed's ear, making the alchemist tense up. Edward loved it...the warm breath gusting against his flesh, Envy's sultry tone...it was enough to drive him wild. But still, being Edward Elric, he had to get points for at least trying to resist sexual temptation.

"I'll wash myself, thanks..." he murmured, brushing past Envy and walking toward the bathroom, "you can make yourself useful by cleaning Al's armor. He's gonna rust..."

Envy watched the alchemist disappear into the bathroom, then smiled to himself and grabbed a towel.

"Whatever you say, O'Chibi..."

* * *

**Okay, the ending kinda sucked, but I'll write more soon. I'm just excited and rushy because...I GRADUATE TOMORROW! WHOO! You're all invited! If you can find me...devious chuckle.**

**Will Envy wash Ed or Al? GASP!**


	14. Olla Podrida

**Chapter Fourteen: Olla Podrida**

**My DEEP DEEP DEEPEST apologies, you guys...it's been what, like a year since the last chapter? That's totally my bad. But in my defense, I started college (_art school is tons harder than you'd think)_ and I had a really horrible job as a housekeeper for a while...and now I'm moving soon. To Florida! Yay retirement! (_I wish!)_**

**Please bear with me, my writing skillz have gotten rusty! Thank you very much for sticking with me! COOKIES FOR ALL!**

**Also, for those who want to meet me and also love going to anime conventions, I'll be at Anime Weekend Atlanta again this September! D Join me!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own FMA...yeah yeah yeah.**

**Warnings: Yaoi _(le duh) _...spoilers...?? For those who haven't finished FMA...**

* * *

Wrath was terrified. Outrageously, undeniably, on-the-verge-of-wetting-himself terrified. It was actually kind of ironic, he thought, standing amongst the splendor of the lavishly burnished room, that someone could be so scared while being in such a welcomingly warm chamber. There was clearly some sort of feng shui about the place, if Dante believed in such things.

Which she probably didn't. But still, feng shui or not, Wrath was pretty terrified.

"Wrath...my dear child..." Dante exhaled as if his very presence was a burden on her patience, "tell me again what Envy said when you told him I wanted him to come back..."

The Sin quaked before her as she langorously pacing to and fro in front of a mantle of urns. Dante's calm demeanor didn't hide the acidic menace in her tone or the ferocious flash of her eyes; even Wrath could sense a storm approaching. Or maybe it was already there.

"He said...he would come back to you when he's good and ready..." came his whimper of a voice, not wanting to say it but having no choice. What else could he have done? He would have liked to protect Envy...but experience taught him it was best to obey his master's orders.

And by flaming, rip-roaring hell, Dante wanted to know what that son of hers was up to.

"Ah...Envy still hasn't learned his lesson, I see," she sat in a leather armchair, a well-manicured hand bracing the armrest in anger, "he was always the rebellious type. I would have hoped I had curbed that habit for him long ago...Wrath, you are dismissed."

"Yes ma'am," he bowed and scuttled out of the room as fast as his mismatched legs would carry him. Dante watched with narrowed eyes.

"I suppose the torture must continue."

* * *

_Squeak squeak squeak_

"So...what's the deal with your brother?" Envy asked casually, firmly rubbing his towel against one of Al's shoulder plates and ignoring the rather annoying squeaking that came along with it.

"What do you mean?"

_Squeak squeak squeak_

"I mean...yknow. Exactly how many personality disorders does he have? Four? Five? I'm just guessing, of course."

"Envy...my brother doesn't have any kind of disorder. He just gets high-strung a lot...mostly by people like you...and the Colonel," he added in afterthought.

"You have no idea how honored I am," Envy droned, throwing down the towel, already bored with his chore.

"He likes you, Envy," Al sighed, leaning over to grab the towel with a leather hand, "and you like him, so I guess I can't understand why you two don't get along better."

"Hold on a minute!" Envy snarled, slamming his fist into Al's head and sending the helmet tumbling across the room, "Whoever said I _liked _that bastard of an alchemist you call your brother?!"

Alphonse stood still for a moment, his Blood Seal staring Envy in the face like a watchful eye.

"I had assumed you did," he answered after a moment's silence, lumbering to the corner to pick up his head and reattach it, "and I still think you do. After all..."

"After all what?" Envy snapped, silky voice lashing at Alphonse, who shrugged his spikey shoulders.

"You two slept together, right?"

Envy gawked at Al, mouth hung open in shock before he reeled in his sense and crossed his arms, scoffing haughtily.

"Yes. Your brother was very good, in fact, maybe when you get your body back you should try him out."

"ENVY!!" Alphonse shrieked, dropping the towel, "That's disgusting, he's my brother!!! How can you say things like that, are you _trying _to disturb me?!"

"Of course not..." Envy gave a sly grin in Al's direction, sashaying a bit closer to him, "But don't tell me you've never thought about it. Your brother is definitely good-looking...and those long, sleepless nights must give you a lot to think about..."

Alphonse's phantom eyes grew huge as he stepped back, waving his hands in front of his chest.

"N-no! What's wrong with you, Envy?!"

"What about when you had a body? Did you ever kiss him?" the Sin grinned up at the armor, which in turn picked up its kitten and bounded out the door, screaming.

"WE WERE KIDS, IT DIDN"T COUNT!!!"

Envy looked at the slammed door with a certain amount of satisfaction, then turned on heel and made his way toward the bathroom.

* * *

_'That Envy...'_ Edward thought, tilting back his head and letting the warm water cover his body, _'who does he think he is?'_

The hot shower was doing a good job of washing away the shame and humiliation of playing janitor for a particularly pompous colonel, but it couldn't wash away the doubt flickering through the back of Edward's mind.

He didn't exactly regret sleeping with Envy, but it wasn't quite something to shout to the heavens either.

Before another thought could enter his mind, the shower curtain was ripped to the side and Envy leapt in, grinning ferally through the shrouds of water.

"Hiya, O'Chibi-chan!"

"Envy!" Ed screamed and snatched the edge of the curtain, bringing it up in front of his waist, "w-what are you doing here?! I told you to clean Al! He'll rust! Where is he?!"

"I don't know, Chibi-face. He just ran away," Envy stared at Ed with a completely baffled look, voice dripping with enough innocence to coat a small elephant.

"Okay, can we _stop_ with the _nicknames_ for once?!" he growled.

"Okay, we'll stop the nicknames for now," Envy purred and slid his arms around Edward's waist, fingers dancing up and down his slick lower back. Edward fought to retain a moan, gripping Envy's bony hips within his hands.

Envy leaned into Edward and their lips met, locked together in passion against the sensation and the sounds of the water. Envy's mouth eventually wandered downward, placing gentle kisses against the alchemist's neck and collarbone.

"Aah...Envy..." his hands slid up and tangled themselves into Envy's heavy hair. The Sin licked Edward's scars, his hands roamed over Edward's chest, filling Ed with a warm sensation that not even the hot water could match. Between his moans, he spoke.

"Envy...I was thinking..."

"Well, that's a first for you."

"Shut up, you know what I mean...I just...want to know...why."

"Why what?" Envy tilted his head to the side, feline eyes taking Edward in coolly between flickering against the water's current.

"Why you want to be with me like this...maybe you don't even want to be with me and this all has been some big trick."

"O'Chibi, I'm offended," Envy's feminine voice lilted. Envy, being Envy, was always one to say what he felt, "This isn't a trick, for once. I like being here, I like being away from that bitch Dante and the others, I like being with you. You should know that I do what I like," he poked Ed's chest a bit harder than needed and leaned in, whispering against the alchemists' ear, "and so I do you."

"Envy!" Edward blushed for about the millionth time the past two days, "T-that was just once!"

"Care to make it twice?" the Sin giggled, pinning Edward against the tile wall and pressing up against him.

"Envy...aaahnn..."

* * *

For all purposes and intents, Pride _was_ President Fuhrer Bradley. He enjoyed being President Fuhrer Bradley. The job came with an excellent house, endless lackeys, and the finest cheeses money could buy. And also, being President Fuhrer, he expected to be let in when he knocked on the door to someone's dorm. Especially when he, as Pride, knew that they were in there.

So President Fuhrer Bradley _kindly_ let himself in and _kindly_ shut the door behind him, gently, as to make sure there came no noise. He smirked beneath his moustache.

'Oh, Envy, you sick fool," he thought. Even a non-Homunculus could have known what Envy and that little bastard of an alchemist were up to. The bathroom door was quite ajar, moans resonating, hot and heavy, from inside.

"Envy...ooh...Envy...am I...doing it right...?" Ed's voice was deeper than usual, burdened by aphrodisia.

"O...Chibi...I don't think...there's a wrong...aaahn...waaay..." Envy responded, words hitched falsetto and laced with groans.

"Yesss...Enn...vyy...ahhh...are...you..."

"Sh...shut up...just...keep...ooh...doing..it..."

So, this was what Envy was up to. Dante had told Pride that Envy had refused to come back home, and now he understood. Envy had fallen for the little pipsqueak.

Fallen for his own brother. How disgusting.

He could say "fallen" because it was the truth. There was no way Envy would have relations with someone he disliked or didn't care at all for, unless it was forced on him like the situation he had endured with Greed. It simply wasn't something Envy would do, something the eldest Sin couldn't even manage to conceive within his mind. That was how, without fail, Pride knew. And since Envy had fallen, there was a great risk to their entire operation.

He stood and waited until the moans reached their climax and dwindled down to faint whimpers, waited through the sound of water being replaced with murmured words and hushed whispers.

"Mr. Elric?" he cupped a hand to the side of his mouth, still staying far away from the bathroom, "If you could take a break from your...enjoyment...could you come out here for a moment? I'd like to have a word with you."

Distinctly, he heard the sound of clothes practically being slapped on, with a breathless "Oshitoshitoshitoshitoshitoshit!" accompanying it. Then Edward skidded out of the bathroom, whipping a hand to his wet hair in a frantic salute.

"SIR! I'm sorry!"

"Don't apologize!" Bradley laughed, raising a hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Envy's scowling face peeking out of the bathroom, "I remember what it was like when I was a teenager. Good times, good times..."

Edward looked a little disgusted. Bradley continued, "Anyway, back to the reason of my visit...I hate to ask this of you, seeing as you do so much already, but Headquarters is experiencing a massive load of incoming work...would you please go help Colonel Mustang and his subordinates out?"

"Uh, but sir!" Edward glanced at the clock, still keeping his salute, "It's nearly seven o clock..."

"Like I said, it's a lot of work. I'd hate for them to be up all night, doing it alone."

"That bastard deserves it..." Edward muttered.

"What's that?"

"Ooh, nothing!!! Um...yeah, I'll go."

"Good. Your brother and his kitten are already on the way there. Thanks again, Edward."

"Oh, no problem..." Ed glanced back at the bathroom, then up at Bradley, irked at the fact that the man wasn't moving.

"Oh, I'm sorry! You must want to say goodbye, of course. Pardon me," he smiled and allowed himself out.

"O'Chibi--" Envy stepped out of the bathroom, bluish light brushing over his form as his clothes reappeared on his body.

"Sorry, Envy...but he is my boss. And Al is there too..." he sighed and grabbed his coat, "I'll be back. Just stay here and don't get into trouble, okay?"

"Chibi!"

Edward ran out the door without a second glance, passing right by the hidden Pride.

Envy, inside, crossed his arms and pouted sulkily.

"Now, now, Envy...the boy has much more pressing matters to attend to," Pride stepped through the doorway, hands behind his back.

"You...I suppose Dante sent you? Well you can give her the same message I gave Wrath. I'm not coming back!"

Pride whipped out one of his swords and before he could even blink, Envy sprang backwards.

"Foolish child. I can sense it, the red stones are no longer in your body. How do you plan to survive? You're reckless, you won't last long without those stones to heal you."

"Who're you calling a child?!" Envy snapped furiously, his voice becoming raspy and loud as it often did when he got angry, "and reckless?! I get injured the least of all of you bastards, you know that!!!"

"Care to test that out?"

"DIE!" Envy shrieked, lunging for Pride, who held his blade up in front of him. Envy quickly pounced to the side to avoid running headfirst into the blade and swung his leg out, tripping Pride.

"Goodness!" Pride sprung back up before Envy could do anything, "500 years old and still as agile as a fox! My old body isn't wanting to respond as it used to."

"Excuses!" Envy yelled, transforming his hands into talons and striking vicously at Pride, sparks flying as the talons hit steel.

"I wonder what your mother will say, Envy. When I tell her about your little relationship with Edward."

Envy faltered and Pride took the opportunity to dig the tip of his blade into Envy's calf. With the calf muscle injured, there was no way Envy could perform the wild displays of athleticism that he was known for.

The green-haired Sin shrieked and grabbed his leg before hopping back, away from Pride.

"Don't tell her! I'll kill you!!"

"Now, Envy, you're in no position to kill me. I, however, am in the perfect position to kill you."

Envy cried out in rage and tackled Pride through the window. They both fell, along with shards of glass, into the street.

"I see what you're doing, Envy. You think I will stop fighting you just because these people recognize me as a leader? All they'll see is their beloved Fuhrer defeating a monster."

"Bastard!" Envy screamed. His body dissolved from its usual form, falling apart and reshaping itself into something bigger, stronger. A solid form towered over Pride, supported by scaly, sinewy legs and gleaming talons, two huge leathery wings snapped open and shut and beat at the air as a gaping maw of a mouth roared fiercely toward the heavens. Pride pushed himself up.

"Fitting," Pride said to himself, unsheathing his swords as he took a cautious step back, "A dragon. You and leviathans have a natural connection, don't you, Envy?" He glanced over at Envy's left back leg. It was marked with a gash, still bleeding. And he was clearly favoring it.

"Why are you here?" boomed Envy's voice, magnified times a hundred and sounding just about as angry as always, "Go away!"

A massive claw shot toward Pride, who jumped swiftly backwards. Cobblestones and street debris flew in the air and people shrieked in horror, ran in all directions. This just infuriated Envy all the more. He hated humans, HATED THEM!! He hated Pride, he hated Dante, he hated Greed, he hated it all!!! His heavy tail smashed irately against the side of the dorms, his toothy jaw snapped open again to scream in infuriation and his blinded, blinded once again by the rage he hadn't felt in so long. He didn't care if he couldn't regenerate. He was going to give Pride, and this city, hell.

* * *

The office clacked with typewriters, buzzed with people running around with different documents. Mustang looked up from examining a memo, staring toward the window.

"Did you hear anything?"

"Stop pretending to hear things and do your work, sir," Hawkeye said calmly as she walked by.

Mustang sighed irately and went back to work.

* * *

**CHAPTER END.**

**Yeah, I know a few things were messed up as far as time goes. Like "how did Wrath get to Dante so quick?" or "Ed's not that far away, shouldn't he hear or see Envy-dragon?" Well...um...I'M TIRED! YES! THAT'S IT!**

**Please review! I'm kind of down in the dumps about things...once again, sorry for procrastinating! I'm a bad man...woman...next chapter's arrival-date will depend on how much stuff I have to go through and how life treats me in general.**


	15. Captive

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* * *

**

Wow, it's been foreverz, huh?? I have many excuses, but the main one is that I simply grew bored of the story. It took two straight weeks of teeth-grinding boredom to make me come back to this, but I'm really glad I did. I hope you enjoy it too! =D

* * *

Central City military headquarters thrummed with activity, a veritable beehive of soldiers getting ready for battle. Guns were cocked into position, orders were shouted, heavy boots boomed down the hall.

Maria Ross stood hunched over a receiver, clutching a pair of headphones and yelling into a mic.

"That's right, witnesses have spotted Fuhrer Bradley fighting what seems to be a huge chimera down near the military dorms, sections one hundred through three hundred fifty! All available soldiers are to be deployed to the site immediately! Uh...sir...?" Ross turned to stare at Mustang and his subordinates, the only group who seemed to be taking their sweet time striding down the hall, as opposed to all the others who were running as if lava was lapping at their heels.

Edward and Alphonse strolled up. Ed looked at the soldiers in a bemused way.

"What the hell is all this about, old man?"

Mustang raised his eyebrows.

"So I'm old now?"

"You've always been old."

Mustang sighed.

"The Fuhrer has been seen near the dorms, fighting a chimera, or that's what they say..." he gazed down at Edward as he walked with a knowing look, "He's been seen near YOUR dorm, actually."

Edward nearly tripped in mid-step, not able to keep his eyes from growing wide and his skin from losing its color. Mustang stopped in his tracks and stood to face Edward, glowering down at him.

"So you do have something to do with this, huh?" he asked, his black eyes thirsting for the answer, "I'm not stupid, Ed. Something has been going on with you."

Edward frowned at Mustang and forced a careless shrug.

"Nothing's going on, you're paranoid. Shouldn't you be going to save your Fuhrer? You're the only one who's not running to his rescue, Colonel."

Mustang opened his mouth to make an argument when Hawkeye stepped forward, eyeing Ed with just as much suspicion as Mustang himself.

"He's right, sir, we need to get going. We can deal with Edward at another time."

Edward was at once, both grateful and nervous as Hawkeye brushed past him. Her eyes never left him once. Mustang set a hand on his shoulder.

"Come with us," he said blankly. Edward looked up at him, but Mustang didn't look down. His eyes, determined, were set ahead.

* * *

Pride had to hold himself back once his armies arrived. It was true, they all knew he was a superb fighter, how could he not be, having survived all the battles he had been in? But if they had seen him fighting to the extent of his ability, the extent of his ability using his all-seeing eye…

Well, even idiotic humans could tell when things were wrong sometimes.

So he fell back, allowed himself to be taken in the custody of his loyal subordinates, feigning lack of breath and weariness as he watched the bloodied Envy mow through rank after rank of soldiers before a platoon of State Alchemists finally arrived.

"Look at him!' Envy screamed and spit, his roaring voice piercing the ears of anyone nearby, "He's not human! He's like me!!" His heavy tail slammed into the already ruined buildings.

Pure confusion, people baffled over, not only a chimera that could talk, but one that could speak so eloquently. People running to and fro, firing their weapons, drawing their transmutation circles…people, people, people. Humans.

"He's a monster!" Envy screeched, his voice loud enough to shatter glass, furious and desperate enough to have even the soldiers back away in fear. His toothy maw snapped forward and tore through whatever it could find, masonry, flesh, clothing…blood stained his muzzle and the dark sockets of his wild eyes, eyes that dilated and insanely sought out Pride.

Fuhrer Bradley decided it was time to get things under control.

"Alchemists, capture that beast! I want it alive for study! …Colonel Mustang," he added, turning to the new arrival, "I would have expected you here sooner."

Mustang didn't looked at Bradley as he answered. Instead his vision was locked on Envy, not surprised, not scared. Just intent.

"My apologies, sir, I was attending to something very important. Besides, it looks like we won't be needed after all…"

Edward went pale at Mustang's statement and turned to look at Envy. The monster he had let get too close to him, the monster that was flattening dozens of men, the monster that was now cornered and injured…

A command was issued, the fizzing blue glow of alchemy filled the air and what seemed like hundreds of metal cables shot forth, tying themselves around Envy. They wrapped around his snapping jaws and pulled tight, drawing blood. They whipped his thick legs out from underneath him and the ground shook as he fell. His tail was stapled solidly to the street, unable to thrash, barely able to squirm.

He was beaten. Caught. Humiliated.

Fuhrer Bradley limped back to a waiting car with the help of two soldiers.

"Get that thing to Laboratory 4, but don't let anyone see it until I figure out what to do." With that last order, the car door slammed shut behind him and he was driven off.

"Well, Ed," Mustang mumbled softly, "I don't suppose you could have been hiding this thing in your room…"

Edward stared ahead. He put one foot forward before a heavy hand rested on his shoulder, stopping him. He looked up at Alphonse, who shook his head slowly.

"Not now, Brother," he whispered in sympathy.

And for once, Ed had to agree with his younger sibling. Now wasn't the time for action.

They stared ahead, watching silently and trying to block out Envy's low, rumbling groans.

* * *

"I just want to know what they're gonna do with it!" Edward demanded, practically running to keep up with Mustang's pace as the older man walked briskly toward Headquarters. A horde of State Alchemists had since transferred the bound leviathan to the sturdy back of a wide, flat-top truck, which had then trundled down the street and out of view.

"What makes you think they're going to tell me, Ed? Hell, they try their hardest to keep things from me!"

Edward frowned, though he did have to note with certain glee that the Colonel was uncharacteristically exasperated, and…maybe even worried. He struggled to regain his pace and stay alongside the colonel.

"You always seem to figure important things out on your own, even when they don't want you to! Why should this be any different?"

Mustang snapped to a standstill so suddenly that Ed was already three and a half steps past him before he realized it. He barely had time to turn and look at Mustang before the man grabbed him by the shoulders. The intense fury in his glare was frightening.

"Ed, you have to tell me now. What's been going on with you? First, the total disregard for my orders at Demorest, the refusal to tell me who exactly you took care of there, and now the fact that you're practically killing yourself trying to get information about this chimera! What is it? You have to tell me!"

Edward was taken aback by the desperate tone in Mustang's voice and the tense grip the man had on his shoulders. Even so, he furrowed his brow and yelled back in response.

"The Demorest thing wasn't a big deal, and it has nothing to do with what's going on now! And as for that chimera, it's a living, breathing thing! I don't want a repeat of what happened with Nina!" he tried to tear away from Mustang's hold, but the Colonel wouldn't relinquish. He held tighter than ever, his coal-black eyes still screwed up in suspicion.

"Don't feed me that bull, Ed. There's a big difference between Nina and that thing. For one, Nina didn't harm anyone. Secondly, she died a quick death, her suffering didn't last long...which is more than I can say for this one," his voice became goading, and with each word he studied Ed's face more intently for a reaction, "they'll probably keep this one alive as long as they can to experiment on it....I'd say its suffering is far from over."

"Well that's even worse, isn't it?" Edward shot back, but the slight, frightened tremor in his movements gave Mustang all the information he needed, "nothing should be put through such torture..."

The Colonel released Ed's shoulders with a sigh and crossed his arms, looking down at the smaller Alchemist.

"I agree, Edward, but there's nothing I can do. But I have the feeling that after a while, you'll be questioned about that thing."

"What? Why?"

"Think about it, Ed. According to eyewitness information, it just suddenly appeared in the vicinity of your living space. The brass will be rounding up anyone who stayed in that area to ask them about suspicious activity."

Edward shrunk back slightly, quite aware of the fact that he was the one under the most suspicion at the moment. But Mustang was right...he would be taken in and questioned soon, especially since Bradley had met with him right before the attack.

"What should I do?" he asked softly, lifting up his head to gaze at the older man. Mustang's gaze softened and his arms dropped to his sides.

"First we need to get you and Al situated into a new living space...after that, just go about your business until you're called on. But, if I'm not allowed in the room when they interview you, I would like you to report to me what they asked you. It's the least you could do. Got it?"

Ed stayed silent for a moment, trying to think of some reason why he couldn't do that. But Mustang was right...after all Ed had done, it was the least he could do for the Colonel.

"Got it."

"Come on...let's find you somewhere new to stay."

* * *

"Envy...Envy, Envy, Envy..." Pride paced back and forth, muttering to himself.

They were alone in a large room in the deepest part of Laboratory Four, a well-hidden lab specially outfitted to store and test large threats such as enemy tanks, or in this case, rampaging dragons.

The room was much darker than one would expect from a laboratory, only the light source buzzing blue lights that, strangely enough, lined the base of the floors instead of the ceiling. The center of the floor had been sunken into a low pit by State Alchemists, just deep enough to contain Envy so his spiked draconic back reached slightly above floor level. The steel cables that tied him were now bolted down firmly. The same type of cables had been wrapped around Envy's muzzle in an ample number of coils, so Pride didn't have to worry about the older Sin mouthing off to him, as he had so many times in the past.

"I'll admit, you surprise me. You haven't transformed into something smaller in order to escape. But I'm not too well-educated as to your shape-shifting abilities, so who knows? Maybe you're just too weak right now. I'll have to ask Dante about that later."

The name elicited a small rumble from deep within Envy's throat. Pride shook his head and continued pacing.

"You've certainly gotten yourself into a lot of trouble lately, haven't you? And now you want to dig yourself in even further by refusing to come back to us. What did you plan on doing, traveling with the Elric brats from now on?" he peered over the side of the pit at Envy, whose half-open eyes weakly sought him out.

"I see...so you still haven't fully recovered from Greed's treatment, have you? Display a little of that wild exertion like you did earlier and you're too weak to do anything, even transform. Pitiful."

Suddenly the floor trembled and the bolts rattled as the dragon bucked up against his bonds in an escape attempt fueled by fury. But as quickly as the lunge had began, it died down and Envy was still once again, blood running down his sides from the new lacerations the cables cut into his skin. Pride ignored it.

"Well, in any case, you obviously care for Full Metal...perhaps later you'll be lucky enough to see him," he strode toward the door and opened it. Two armed guards waited outside, and with a nod from Bradley, they went in, "make sure you watch that thing carefully. Oh, and kill anyone who tries to come in without me with them."

He shut the door behind him and left.

* * *

"This should do for now," Mustang's gloved hand flicked the switch and the room lit up, revealing a dorm even more unremarkably boring than the last one. Edward and Alphonse filed in behind him, the latter clutching his kitten close against him, "since it's right next to Headquarters, it should be easier for you two should you be called on..."

Edward looked back at the Colonel, noting the weariness that not only laced his voice, but his eyes as well. Despite everything, he felt sorry for the man. He almost wished he could tell Mustang everything that had happened; from when they left for Demorest to what had transpired only a few hours ago. But Ed had his own agenda, and things would be even worse if Mustang tried to meddle in their affairs even more than he already did.

"Colonel," Alphonse piped up, looking over his shoulder at the man in curiosity, "where do you live?"

"I have an apartment near here," he answered boredly, "if you two need anything, Master Sergeant Fuery is just across the all in 2B. And Ed, if Bradley or someone else wants to talk to you about what happened, make sure to tell me before you leave."

"Yeah, yeah..." Edward plopped down on the couch, his back facing Mustang.

"I mean it, Ed. I'll be in my office if you need me." the door closed, and Edward, Alphonse and the kitten were alone.

Alphonse waited a good five minutes before sitting down on the chair opposite of Ed, slowly petting Tar-Tar.

"What are we going to do, Brother?"

"Nothin` we can do right now, Al," Edward muttered, not moving from his position, "it'll be more than a little suspicious if we try to go rescue Envy...not to mention Bradley'll have that place crawling with guards."

"That's not it, is it?" Al asked softly. Edward craned his neck over his shoulder to raise a questioning eyebrow at Alphonse.

"What's not it?"

"The guards and everything...we've done suspicious things before...and we've snuck into heavily-guarded places before...so that can't be it."

Ed flipped onto his back, silently cursing the surprising perceptiveness his little brother possessed. Figuring it was no good trying to hide anything from Al, he closed his eyes and murmured and answer.

"You saw Envy back there...he attacked all those people...he killed some, too...you saw those body bags being hauled out of there, just as well as I did..." he sighed and turned away from Al again, "I just kind of thought he had changed."

"I can't disagree with you...it was awful..." Alphonse looked down, using one thick finger to stroke the kitten's chin. Tar-Tar raised his head and closed his eyes appreciatively, "...and I don't condone what he did...but he was just trying to protect himself. He wasn't charging at those people for no reason."

"Tch. I guess." was all Ed could mutter in response, "I just wanna know how he got the idea in his pea brain to attack the Fuhrer in the first place. What was he thinking!"

"Maybe Bradley saw Envy and knew what he was...maybe he attacked Envy first...that would explain a lot, wouldn't it?"

Edward sat up and stared at Al.

"It would...but in that case, what're they gonna do to Envy?"

They both sat quietly, unwillingly pondering the answers, when a knock on the door interrupted their sullen thoughts. Alphonse stood and opened it. A lower-level military man saluted them, and as he swiftly brought his hand down, barked his reason for coming.

"President Fuhrer Bradley would like to meet with you, Full Metal!" he said, looking past Al at Ed, "in regards to the earlier chimera attack near your dorm, of course. He requests you come with me right now," the man gave Al a sideways look, "alone."

With his mouth set in a thin, displeased grimace, Ed stood.

"Well, that was quick," he growled softly. As he strode toward the door, he looked at Alphonse.

"I'll be back soon, Al. Remember to feed Tar-Tar."

With a small wave, he joined the soldier and left, closing the door behind him.

Alphonse stood, silently holding Tar-Tar for a few minutes after Ed left. Once he was sure his brother and the soldier were a decent distance away, he gently set the kitten on the chair, then picked up the phone and dialed.

* * *

**Not the best, I know, but I've gotten incredibly lazy in my writing...and I wrote it at four in the morning with a cat in my face. So yeah.**

**Lemme know what you think!**


	16. Molecule By Molecule

**There is language in this chapter! Oh my!!! Also, it's really not a good chapter because I'm trying to get to another, more interesting part of the story, so better ones will follow. Yes. Oh, and I'm sure I misspelled things, but I was really lazy with this one...stupid me, trying to further the plot! We all know it's the sex everyone likes. Right?! Am I right?!**

* * *

The lights lining the floor flickered on, one by one, illuminating the metal room in cold blue. Bradley and Edward's footsteps echoed loudly.

"Here it is, Edward," Bradley led him up to the pit in the center of the floor, clasping his hands passively behind his back, "the chimera that attacked me. It was quite lucky you and Alphonse were out when it attacked, seeing as it destroyed your lodgings."

"Yeah, me and Al have always been really lucky like that," Ed grumbled. If Bradley noted the sarcasm in Ed's voice, he didn't show it, but instead continued.

"It's a very interesting beast...a talking chimera...as you know, not many of those have existed. And those brought into existance have always had human elements to them. So tell me, Ed, you being the master Alchemist and all...is this monster part human?" he gazed down at Ed, his mouth set in a straight line underneath the bristles of his moustache.

Edward gaped at him for a moment, then turned to look at Envy, who rolled a purple eye to look back at him.

"Uh...no, sir, it doesn't seem to be. Are you sure it talked?"

"Quite sure, Edward. I don't imagine you'd like to help me with this? You're one of the best Alchemists we have, would you like to deconstruct this thing and find out its basic elements?"

"No sir," Edward frowned, staring stiffly up at Bradley. He reinforced his statement with a firm shake of the head, "It's one thing to deconstruct elements and objects, but an entirely different thing to tear apart a living being molecule by molecule. I won't do it."

"Even if it costs you your State Alchemist license?"

A tense silence followed. Ed almost felt his heart stop. It was true that Bradley could take away his license at any moment. If that happened, he and Al would be stuck at square one again. They may never get Al's body back. But the line had to be drawn somewhere. He glared up at Bradley with the usual defiance in his amber eyes.

"Yes. Even if it cost me that."

Bradley glared down at him for a moment before erupting into good-natured laughter.

"I like you, Edward, you certainly are set in your ways! A young heart and an old soul. Don't worry, I'm not going to take away your license or make you experiment on this chimera. I just wanted your expert opinion."

"So I'm free to go? Al's waiting back home..."

"Just one more thing, Ed," the man strode past Ed, up to the rim of the pit, where a small panel had been set up by Alchemists specifically for containing Envy, "I want to show you something interesting."

He fiddled with the panel for a second before a high-pitched drone filled the room, accented with the stuttering crackles of electricity. Energy jolted through wires in the base of the pit and into the cables that held Envy down, rolling shockwaves through his body. His eyes clenched tight.

Edward stared.

"Wh...what are you doing?"

"Did you know chimeras are incredibly sensitive to pain?" Bradley answered, gazing calmly down at the pit, "It's part of their nature, you see. They are made of parts that shouldn't be able to work together, but have been forced to. Therefore, they are unstable, and anything from walking to the tiniest pinprick causes them a great deal of pain. Of course, some people are like that too," he offered Edward a smile, "some people just can't stand pain."

"Can you...stop? Please? I don't..."

"Want to see it in pain? Of course..." he turned the machine off. Envy's body relaxed and lulled, his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fainted.

Bradley walked back toward Ed, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Edward, I'm giving you an incredible opportunity. There's a courtyard out back. We'll transport the chimera there, bring you some materials to transmute, and you'll have free reign. I want that thing tamed."

"B-but sir, that's not really my...um...area of expertise."

"Of course not, but we'll take a chance. Just don't let it escape, now.'"

* * *

_"What should I do with him? Bring him to you?" Pride had asked, keeping his voice low. Dante sighed into the phone line._

_"No, not yet. I want him to come back of his own volition, begging for me to take him in again. No, let him go. Or rather..."_

_"Yes?"_

_"...I have an idea."_

* * *

"Envy....Envy....Envy!"

Through the darkness, Envy was vaguely aware of a small force pushing against his shoulder. He groaned, twitching the muscle like a horse twitches its flanks to deter flies. But this fly was persistant. He cracked his eyes open...it was nighttime. There were silvery shapes in the background...fences, he realized. Really high fuckin` fences. And floodlights, though none of them seemed to be turned on.

"Envy!"

Envy weakly lifted his head and turned it until he saw the darkened figure of Ed shoving against his shoulder. The fly.

"Envy, you're awake! You had me freaking out!"

"Chibi...? What happened?"

"It's a really long story, Envy, let's just focus on getting you out of here! No one is watching right now, and I destroyed all the lights, you have to go!"

Envy groaned and laid his head back on the ground, rolling over on his side in pain.

"Carry me..."

Edward huffed, leaning against Envy's pale yellow belly and draping an arm across Envy's monumental side.

"Two things wrong with that, Envy. First, you weight about three tons more than me right now, secondly, I have to stay to explain how you mysteriously escaped. So go on! Mysteriously escape!"

"But I don't _feel _good..." The Homunculus whined. Edward rolled his eyes.

"Would you rather they rip you apart molecule by molecule?" He pointed a metal finger toward the horizon, "if you go in that direction, there's a train station in ruins on the edge of town. It's pretty easy to spot. Al is already on his way there, he'll take care of you and hide you until I can get there." he gave Envy's belly a sympathetic rub, "you just gotta make it there, okay?"

Envy moaned and reluctantly rolled back over, lifting himself up on his three good legs. He turned his sharp muzzle to look at Edward once more, blinking his eyes slowly. Edward gently hugged Envy's lowered neck.

"I'm so tired, Ed..."

"I know...we'll take care of everything, just try and make it to the train station."

Ed stood back as Envy spread his wings wide and beat them, stirring up whirlwinds of dust and dirt. His claws lifted off the ground and he rose steadily in the air, before he was off, disappearing into the night sky.

Sighing, Ed clapped his hands and went to work.

* * *

**Like I said, next one will be better...not to mention I started that new fic...which I really shouldn't have. Anyway, please review! It makes my lifejuice run!**


	17. The Proof

**Lots of people have been asking me questions through reviews, so I thought I'd take a moment to answer some of them!! Once again, I thank everyone for their reviews, it's really what keeps me going! I barely ever write anymore. I'm too busy sleeping, eating or doing homework. I kid you not, this is my life.**

**newXmoonXfox: I've never really written a lemon, so I don't know how well it would turn out if I wrote one. I do like to read them, though! Who knows, someday I may write one.**

**Envy-pride'ed: A Valentine's Day chapter wouldn't really fit in with the story, but I will write an extra fluffy chapter next time!**

**yo: I think it's okay to refer to Envy as 'he'. In the manga, (though I notice they tend not to say "his, her, he she," concerning him) there have been a couple of times when he's been referred to as a male. And in the anime, despite whatever his usual gender is, the gender of his "true form" is male. That's just the way I look at it, though! There are lots of different opinions.**

**Nikotehfox: Ed was never supposed to deconstruct Envy, Bradley wanted him to "tame" him.**

**Roy's becoming a more prominant part of the story! Oh noes! I didn't mean for that to happen...but...my love for Roy has grown immensely since starting this fic, so it's only natural.**

* * *

Mustang had gotten Alphonse's phone call and had made a concentrated effort to try and track Edward down, however, even with his admirable rank, it had taken a great deal of prodding and coercing to find out where Bradley had been interrogating the boy. Now it was late in the night, and he even doubted if the interrogations were even still going on. Still, he refused to let all his hard work be for naught.

He rushed down the cobblestoned pathway, swung a right past a street lamp, and ran straight into the President Fuhrer.

"Oof! Why, Colonel! Where are you going in such a hurry?"

Mustang snapped into rigidity and flung his right hand to his forehead in a sharp salute. A quick glance past his elbow revealed the smaller form of Edward beside Bradley. Mustang narrowed his eyes. Edward's clothes were shredded and dirty and he was covered in sweat, dirt and dots of what seemed to be blood. And he looked none too happy, but Mustang generally expected that from Ed.

"Sir! Pardon me for running into you. I was looking for Full Metal, I had stopped by his dorm to check on him, but Alphonse said he had gone in for questioning. Since he falls under my jurisdiction, I wanted to make sure he wasn't in too much trouble."

"No trouble at all, Colonel Mustang!" Bradley raised a hand and gave an easy laugh, "though he did managed to lose that chimera after I gave him the task if taming it. That being said, would you mind orchestrating a small search party? I don't want the public alarmed."

Mustang gaped at Bradley, then at Edward, before raising his arm in a slower, more awkward salute.

"Yes, sir..."

"Good man. Well, I'm going home for the night. The wife insists on having dinner with me, despite the time. That woman..." he shook his head in good nature and walked past Mustang into a waiting car. He and Ed watched silently as the car slowly trundled down the street.

"Well," Ed quickly turned on heel and began walking away, "now that that's settled, I'll be going home now!"

"Not so fast, Ed," Mustang grabbed Edward by the arm. The boy turned to give him his most menacing glare, a look that didn't faze the older man at all, "What is all this business about taming the chimera? What happened?"

"The Fuhrer wanted me to tame it," he answered with a shrug, "I guess he thought I could handle it because it was so weak...we took it outside in the arena, then he left me alone with it. I guess the thing still had some fight in it because it tried to tear me apart, then it escaped."

"Or did you _let_ it escape?" Mustang asked, eyes glitning. Ed spat back at him.

"What kind of idiot do you take me for, Colonel? Why would I let that thing out into the city again?"

"You tell me," he regarded Edward sternly, and sighed when Ed's attitude didn't relenquish, "Fine, just go home, Ed. I'll be contacting you tomorrow, it's too late to deal with you now."

"Yeeaaaah, about tomorrow. I'll be somewhere else for a few days," he looked away innocently.

"What?! You can't just run off without my--"

"Bye Colonel!" Ed yelled, already across the street and running in the opposite direction.

"Augh!" he groaned, smacking his forehead. Sometimes he regretted ever recruiting that kid. He slid his hand roughly down his face before parting his fingers, looking through them with dark, narrowed eyes. Ed's story was somewhat believable, as far as him not wanting the chimera to escape. But as for the Fuhrer...

Mustang started walking slowly back into town, staring shrewdly up at the dark sky.

The Fuhrer must have wanted the chimera to escape, too.

But, for the life of him, Mustang couldn't figure out why.

* * *

Alphonse waited in the lonely darkness of the ruined train station. The building was partially collapsed, but one side was fully intact. Even the roof still stood, jutting out slightly above broken masonry. It was on a felled pillar that Alphonse sat, intently watching the skies for any sign of draconic activity. He had received an urgent call from Ed hours earlier, and had booked it out of town as fast as he could. He had been here for two hours, and still no sign of the Homunculus.

Vaguely, he began to wonder if he left enough food for Tar-Tar, when Envy appared on the horizon, framed against glaring lights that the city bled into the sky. Alphonse stood, staring up until Envy was right above him.

The Homunculus promptly nosedived into the ruins, landing squarely on top of Alphonse.

"Aaaugh!" Envy moaned, twisting his neck backward in agony, "your spikes are hurting me!!"

"Then get off!" Al's hollow voice squealed from under the massive dragon. Envy rolled to the side until he was on his back, lifting his head weakly to inspect his belly.

"Ugh...stupid armor..." he grumbled.

Then he passed out.

Alphonse sighed and rose to his feet, gently patting Envy's side.

"I've never seen a dragon faint before."

Leaving Envy, he walked around the back and took a piece of chalk from the pouch on his leg. He marked a quick circle into part of the crumbled wall and pressed his hand to it. In a flash of blue and white, the train station slowly melded itself together again, covering the dragon that lay asleep inside.

It was a while later when Edward showed up, arms laden with medical supplies, and two set to work.

"I don't understand," Alphonse mused quietly as he wrapped thick gauze around Envy's injured leg, "why would the Fuhrer ask you to _tame_ what he thought was some random chimera?"

"I dunno, Al," Ed scrubbed between the dragon's shimmering scales, removing the dirt and grime from his cuts, "but it just doesn't add up. What's worse is that the Colonel stopped me before I left...if he didn't suspect something before, he sure does now."

"Have you ever thought about telling him, Brother?" Alphonse clipped the gauze in place and stood back, looking over his work. He then cast a sidelong glance at Ed, "Maybe he'd help."

"Help? Yeah right! He'd turn Envy in just so they'd give him another promotion! I don't know if you remember, Al, but that's the only reason he hired us in the first place," Edward flung his dirty towel down before slumping back on a rusty rail. It gave way beneath his weight and he landed hard on the ground in a cloud of dust.

"I guess so," Alphonse sighed, then bent to help his brother up.

* * *

He groaned. The light was hitting his eyes, glaring red and angry through the closed lids. He opened his eyes slowly, then blinked and reared his head back.

"You're up! And it only took you two days this time."

Envy looked to his left. Edward sat cross-legged on top of an ancient newspaper dispenser, a thick book open in his lap. He wore only his black tank top, his pants legs were rolled up and his boots off to reveal his bare feet. He looked childish.

"Chibi-monger?" the Homunculus asked softly, tilting his head to the side. Edward slapped the book closed and stood, one side of his mouth curling upwards in distaste.

"Envy, what the hell is it with you and these freaky nicknames? They don't even make sense anymore."

Envy rolled over and lumbered to his feet, twisting his neck to look over his body.

"I'm still a dragon."

"You never turned back," Alphonse piped up. Envy had barely seen the boy; he was sitting hunched over in the dirty corner next to a pile of equally dirty books, the tip of his horn buried in an open tome. Envy inhaled and gathered his energy, then released it, shedding the extra muscle, bone and blood of the dragon form until he was back to normal.

Each transformation, he realized, was becoming harder and harder to pull off. He had thought that he could transform indefinitely, even without the power of the red stones, but then again he had never gone without their nourishment for this long. He had always run back to Dante for more, terrified of the pain that could await him without their healing properties.

He considered telling Ed, but then, wouldn't that give the Alchemist the upper hand? At this point, transformation was the only card Envy held, even if it was simply a bluff. And as delightfully as he and the Elrics were getting along at the moment, it could change any minute. He might need that hand.

"I have a bone to pick with you, Envy," Edward suddenly snapped. His cheer at seeing the Homunculus awake and well had dissolved in an instant, "what the hell were you thinking, picking a fight with the Fuhrer?!"

"He attacked me first, Chibiloo," Envy scoffed, crossing his arms. The color drained from Ed's face.

"He attacked you, so your first reaction was to transform into a mythical creature in front of him?!?

Envy's carefree nod earned Ed an aggravated groan and a quick smack to the forehead with his metal palm. Then he paused, thinking.

"...Envy...why did he attack you in the first place?"

The Sin raised his eyebrows at Ed. True, he was more inclined to like the Elrics now more than his mother and the other Homunculi, but he failed to see what good it would do to reveal Dante's whole master plan. So he stuck to what he was good at; lying.

"It was more of a verbal attack. He said something about me looking like a prostitute."

"That still isn't a valid reason for you to-- auuugh!" Edward threw his hands into the air, apparently giving up as he turned toward Alphosne and snapped, "Al, pack up our stuff, we're leaving."

"Where're we going, O'Chibi?" Envy grinned, draping his arms around Edward. Ed pushed Envy away, obviously not in a cuddling mood.

"To East City. There's a pretty decent library there, we can look for information about the Philosopher's Stone while being far away from Mustang and the Fuhrer. And we can bide our time and find out what we're going to do about the other Homunculi. I don't think they're happy with you right now."

"I should say not," Envy answered, gently kicking his injured leg against the ground to test it. It held up well despite the dull pain. He secretly wished that Ed had requested going somewhere closer to Dante's manor...he could have easily snuck in and retreived more red stones. At this point, he'd have risked it, even if it meant running into Greed or Dante. But it felt wrong, at the moment, to stray from Edward, so he said nothing.

* * *

They stuck to the clay roads edging the outside of Central, making a long loop around the city. Edward transmuted a rickshaw that Alphonse, with his tireless body, offered to pull, as Envy gladly rested inside with his injured leg. Edward, refusing to see his little brother reduced to the role of a mere beast of burden, chose to walk alongside Al, until night fell and his steps became shorter his eyelids drooped with weariness. Alphonse lifted Ed into the seat next to Envy, despite his tired protests, and then continued to pull.

"Nice of you to join me, O'Chibi," Envy whispered, his eyes glinting violet under the sinking sun. Edward, still annoyed, tried to brush him off.

"It wasn't my decision," he growled, gesturing toward Alphonse.

"You're kinda stupid, huh?" Envy asked, earning an outraged growl from Edward.

"What?!" he stopped short as Envy slapped a thin finger to his lips.

"Shhh, Chibi..." he leaned in and kisses Edward deeply. Ed froze, then slowly kissed Envy back. The kiss was sweet, innocent; traits Edward did not know Envy to posess. Yet he melted into it, young and gullible, and wrapped his arms around Envy's neck.

After a few pulse-pounding moments, they broke and sat in the growing darkness, the loud bumping and creaking of the rickshaw disrupting the silence between them.

"Will it be nice there, O'Chibi?" Envy asked, grasping the Alchemist's left hand and twining his fingers with Ed's. Edward squeezed gently.

"East City? No. It's miserable there. It's always dark and rainy and the crime rate is out of control." he sighed, and looked at the Sin, almost jumping when he found that Envy's eyes were glittering with glee.

"My kinda place. Can we go on walks in the park?"

"If you bring an umbrella, I guess."

"Would you hold it for me?"

"Don't push it," Edward sighed, leaned his head against Envy's shoulder, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Pride stood in front of Dante, hands clasped behind his back. He silently watched her mix sugar into her tea, waited as she tipped the ceramic cup to her rosy lips and sipped. Then, with a clink of the cup on the saucer and a sigh, she finally spoke.

"I suppose the others haven't located Greed yet?"

"I'm afraid not. You know how elusive he is."

"Of course."

"If I could bring up another matter--"

"Envy," the woman said stonily, looking sideways at Pride for confirmation, "Correct?"

"Yes. I did as you said and put him in Full Metal's hands. Envy 'escaped' only moments later."

"Then it's confirmed, isn't it?" Dante asked, tilting her head to the side and smiling icily, "the Full Metal boy feels for Envy as Envy feels for him."

"What do you plan on doing?"

"Well, it can't be allowed, of course," she stood and stepped across the room, her hands gliding across the fireplace mantle. She tapped at an ornate box with her pale pink fingernails, and looked over her shoulder at Pride.

"Take these Red Stones...and follow my orders."

* * *

**That's all for now, guys, sorry!!! The next chapter will be mainly fluff, so be prepared! =D**

**And thank you all so much for reading! I know my writing is slowly degenerating, and I apologize, but school EATS MY SOUL.**


	18. The Earthworm and You

**Oooh, you guys! You just had to butter me up with your reviews so I'd work on this fic even though I have a layout to finish...so, in true slacker fashion, I'm writing this instead of drawing the layout. lol. Before we go on, another Q&A segment, this time with only one question.**

**YukinoKara asks if this fic will have a happy or sad ending...in response, I can honestly say...I don't know! I really don't have it planned out! But regardless, it will probably be getting pretty angsty near the end, so...yeah.**

**This chapter is really long (by my standards) and full of fluff and ridiculousness. Enjoy!**

* * *

East City was as depressing as usual, Edward noted upon their arrival. He and Alphonse had visited numerous times in order to present information to the Colonel, and so mixed among the gray buildings and perpetual rain sat bad memories. Memories of having to admit to failure yet again before a stern and silent face. The fact that they were no closer to the Philosopher's Stone than before, no closer to restoring Al's body so he wouldn't have to suffer the insanity of being something less than human.

Another downside of East City was that the dorms were significantly less furnished than the ones in Central. Edward almost cried when they swung open the door and were met with cracked wallpaper and a run-down sofa with moldy stuffing falling out of the cushions. He was pleased to note that there was a bed in the small bedroom, however, which meant he and Envy could sleep in there.

His heart lept as he thought about that statement. He and Envy could sleep in the bed..._together_. He and a whole other living person. Well, he wasn't quite sure if Envy qualified as living, or a person, but he was close enough. And Edward had never realized how warm and tranquil a bed could be when shared with someone else.

Envy strutted into the room and scowled at the poor decor.

"This is it? You'd think the military could afford better lodgings."

"Oh yeah, and I'm sure where you come from there's nothing but million-dollar paintings and fancy chairs especially conformed to fit your ass."

"Don't forget the naked statues," Envy added, striding past Edward to inspect the kitchen, "lots of naked statues."

Alphonse set down Ed's briefcase and let Tar-Tar down to pad about and sniff at the new surroundings. While Envy had been unconscious, Al had insisted upon going back to Central to retrieve the kitten, and Ed had reluctantly relented. He almost regretted letting Alphonse keep that thing, but it gave his brother comfort, especially in the long hours of the night when he couldn't sleep.

"Brother, I'm going to the store across the street to get some cat food, okay?"

"Sure, Al," Edward waved dissmissively, flopping back on the couch. A huge plume of dust coughed out from the mouths of the ancient cushions.

"Be back in a few minutes!" Al answered cheerily before closing the door behind him.

Suddenly Edward felt a weight on his stomach.

"Ooof! Envy, get off!" he growled up at the grinning figure. Envy stayed put from his position on Ed, sitting on him as if he were just part of the couch and swinging his legs childishly.

"So what're we gonna do tomorrow? Are you going to take me shopping for a new dress so I'll be as pretty as all the other girls?"

"You're already prettier than all the other girls," Edward smirked, figuring that it was best to play along. Envy loved these stupid little games. Envy's grin widened and he moved to lay against Ed, gently drawing circles on the Alchemist's muscular chest.

"Even prettier than Sarah Miller? I saw you staring at her at the ball the other night, and you _know_ how jealous I can get..."

"I was just staring at her awful wart," he purred, rubbing Envy's back. His gloved hands traced the hard, lean muscles underneath Envy's skin-tight shirt. Envy slid up against Ed's body until his lips came in contact with the boy's neck, and nipped the tanned flesh until it turned red. His lips traveled to Edward's ear and whispered into it, his sweet voice blowing hot against Ed's skin.

"So does that mean you want to _do_ me...Edward...?"

The statement was too much for Ed. Envy's spoken words seemed to have just as much effect on him as his body did. He moaned in pleasure and closed his eyes, his hands clutching at Envy's frail sides.

"Y-yes...I do..."

Envy's hands travelled under Ed's shirts, finding and stroking the skin that lay beneath as his breath snaked into Ed's ear again.

"Then carry me to the bedroom, Ed...and I'm all yours..."

Edward was just about to scoop Envy up when he remembered Alphonse.

"Envy, I can't...my brother..."

"Aww, Chibi!!!" Envy groaned, sitting up, his knees folded on either side of Ed's hips, "it's not like I'm asking him to watch! We'll be in the bedroom and he'll be out here!"

"No, Envy!" he huffed, then looked away, silent a moment before muttering, "later tonight, after we go to bed. But we have to be quiet, okay!" he added after seeing the devious grin on Envy's face.

"Of _course_, O'Chibi-chan," he mewled, stretching himself back against Edward, "I'll be as silent as a mouse..."

_'But that doesn't mean you will be,' _he thought.

* * *

The hours passed and they settled in nicely to their temporary home. Alphonse had picked up some food at the store for not only the kitten, but Envy and Edward as well, and they sat around the wobbly table to enjoy a smorgasboard of rolls, chicken legs, and even a store-bought parfait for dessert. Of course, most of the food went to Edward seeing as Alphonse couldn't eat and Envy didn't need it to survive. He ripped through the food with his usual half-starving ferocity. Even Envy raised an eyebrow at his table manners, though the Sin did manage to scarf down the parfait in record seconds before Edward's gruding eyes.

Afterwards, Edward and Alphonse read for a bit until Envy's heavy sighs forced them to abandon their effort. Alphonse stayed in the sitting room as Envy and Edward retired to the bedroom. Edward felt incredibly guilty as he shut the door behind him, locking himself away from his brother. He felt as if he were doing something wrong, like he was leaving his little brother alone and vulnerable as he ran off to indulge in nameless physical pleasures.

Envy had stripped off his clothes instead of his usual method of changing his form to discard them, and crawled onto the bed. He lay on the stale covers in the yellow streetlight that dared to shine through the rain and the slats of the blinds, his intent eyes gazing at the Alchemist before him.

"Edward..." he whispered with a slight smile, "come."

Ed moved forward as if in a trance and sat on the bed beside Envy, looking him over. The Sin's body was so amazing, so slender yet so powerful, and with skin smooth and white like pearls. Envy reached up to slide off Ed's shirts, one and then the other, and then undid the belt, flinging it into the corner of the room. He helped Edward out of the tight leather pants, and then the boxers, until they were both naked.

They looked at each other for a long time, eyes sweeping across each other's vulnerable flesh, and then slowly, they came together. They each rested a hand on the other's cheek, each leaned forward enough to simply brush lips at first, and then the kiss deepened. It was slow but passionate, noiseless and long.

Edward laid Envy down against one of the pillows and pressed against him, watching with his own eyes the glazed look that passed over Envy's features.

The first time the two had been together had been urgent, awkward. The second time had taken place on the floor of the bathroom and had ended far too quickly for their taste. This time was different. It was slow and soft and sweet, comprised of tender words and liquid movements. Their troubles dissolved with each touch; Edward's guilty heart and aching limbs were no more, and Envy's disturbed thoughts and lonely memories were put to rest.

Until they lay in each other's arms, refusing to let go, interlocked and feeling loved. The rain drummed the windowpanes outside, lulling them into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

An early morning chill invaded their room the next day, and so they stayed latched together, cuddling securely underneath the meager covers. Edward discovered that Envy loved to be held; whenever he put an arm around him, the Sin would snuggle up as close as he could to the boy and sigh contentedly. Once every so often, he'd tilt his head to offer another wide smile.

They dozed on and off again throughout the morning, lulled by the warmth of their own bodies and the ceaseless drizzle outside the window.

"Mmmh..." Edward sighed softly, waking yet again. He peeked over Envy's bare shoulder at the dusty clock beside the bed, "it's already eleven..."

"Is that a problem?" Envy yawned, turning to face the Alchemist. Ed sat up, eyes darting back and forth in search of his clothes.

"Me and Al were planning on heading to the library and finding some new leads on the Philosopher's Stone."

"Ugh. Boring! Why don't you just stay here? With me?" Envy stroked Ed's cheek gently. Edward smiled and pressed his palm against the back of Envy's hand.

"We can't just lay in bed all day, Envy...why don't you come with us?"

"And do what? _Read_?"

"That is generally what people do at a library, yeah."

Envy regarded Edward coolly for a moment, then slipped out of bed, scooping up his clothes.

"Fine. Make me a jacket or something, though, it's cold out," he began pulling on his shorts and fastening the skirt around his waist.

"Why don't you just wear mine?"

Envy paused. Wear Ed's jacket? That was absurd. It was almost juvenile. And yet...he liked the idea.

* * *

Though Edward was terrified that Envy would start some sort of trouble at the library, he also didn't want to leave the Homunculus alone. Last time he had done that, it hadn't ended well. Besides, by bringing Envy to this place, he was letting him in on a part of his life, letting him see what he and his brother did with their time. It was exciting and nerve-wracking, though he surmised that Envy would hate it. He half-expected snide remarks about how the library was boring, smelled like musty bread, and was a hiding place for reject nerds with no social lives.

And that's exactly what he got. Still, Envy was remarkably well-behaved as they shifted through hardback after hardback, and he managed to keep his voice level relatively low while throwing insults at the library and its inhabitants.

"I'm just saying," he rambled, sitting cross-legged on top of a mound of books they had stacked, "a few posters in this place couldn't hurt. Maybe one of a giant alligator."

"Envy," Ed rolled his eyes, hefting up a bunch of books, "no one wants to see that. I'm going to the desks to make some notes. If you're not gonna help Al look through the books, then....here." he shoved a thin book into Envy's hands.

" _'The Earthworm and You'_ ?" Envy asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Enjoy," Ed waved and walked off. Envy stared at him, then looked back at the book.

"What is this?!" he spat, disgusted, opening it to the middle and inspecting a black and white photo of a dying worm, "I have no interest in these..._things_!"

"Earthworms are actually pretty neat, Envy," Alphonse remarked as he pulled another book down from the shelf, "Did you know that they're hermaphrodites? And they can regenerate any lost segments when they've been injured. Hey, that makes them sound kinda like you!" he laughed, then paused when he didn't hear a reply, "Envy?"

He turned around to find that Envy had left.

Envy approached Edward stealthily. The boy sat at one of the desks that flanked the back wall of the library's second floor, the only person who dared sit in the painfully rigid chairs. He was in his element, eyes scanning pages quickly, one hand turning and the other writing swift notes on a pad of paper. He didn't even notice as Envy slipped by Edward and under the desk, blocked on three sides by wooden partitions, and on the last side by Ed's legs.

Edward jumped as he felt hands on his knees. He bent sideways to look under the desk, staring into dangerously amused purple eyes.

"Go back to reading, O'Chibi," he purred, sliding his hands up to Edward's thighs. Ed shivered involuntarily then snapped.

"Envy! Stop that and get out from under there! This is a library, not a brothel!"

"Sssh-sh-sh-sh..." Envy hissed sweetly, dragging his hands back and forth over the boy's thighs, "Keep your voice down. Someone might hear you..."

Edward sat up stiffly and swung his head left and right to make sure no one was around. He couldn't afford to be thrown out of the library, they desperately needed a new lead to the Stone.

"Envy, please, just sto--AAAH!" he yelped as an unseen hand unzipped his pants. Clutching hard onto the edge of the table, he whispered viciously, "Envy! Stop molesting me!"

Envy gently parted Edward's legs and leaned in closer, huffing loudly against the opened slit of the pants.

"Why should I?"

"If you stop, I'll buy you another parfait!" he closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, ready for the Homunculus to disregard his protests and continue. But he waited a moment, and nothing happened. Blinking in confusion, he bent down again. Envy raised his palms in surrender.

"Okay, Chiblett. But only if you promise to buy me that parfait."

"Yes, I promise. Now find another way to amuse yourself."

Envy considered this for a moment, then crawled past Edward yet again and shuffled away toward the tall bookcases. Edward watched him warily until Envy rounded the corner and he could see no more red and no more long hair. Envy really did look good in his jacket, it looked almost...cute. That being said, he reached down to zip his pants back up.

He went back to his notepad, tapping on the pale yellow sheets with the tip of his pencil. Envy remained in his thoughts. It wasn't because of the Sin's beauty, not because of the hours that had spent making love last night, not even because of the worry he felt that Envy was going to play some awful trick on one of the bookkeepers at the library. No, he had a much more important reason.

Envy was a Homunculus, and as such, deeply involved with the Philosopher's Stone. He may not have been able to do alchemy himself, but he had been created by it, and had lived for centuries, hadn't he? His power ran on the unstable energy of imperfect Red Stones. If anyone had a lead, it would be Envy. But Edward was afraid to ask him, lest Envy think that Ed was just using him for information. Or something worse...

Shaking the thought from his head, he moved on to the next book.

* * *

Envy hid in the darkest corner of the building, flanked by two low bookcases and blocked from view by at least twenty more that stood all the way to the ceiling, lined up row by row like ageless monoliths. He closed his eyes, concentrated, and made his body fall apart and reshape itself into a new form; a large python. What he feared was true.

It really was becoming more difficult to change his form. Not that it was painful...the sensation felt more like he had been wrestling with clothes that really didn't want to fit, like a too-tight pair of pants or one of those two-in-one shirts that at least eight holes to put your arms, and none of them were the actual arm holes. It left him a little spent.

He slid from the corner, winding past the now-huge bookcases in search of Alphonse. He knew the boy was around in this area somewhere, he planned on slipping into his armor and continually bugging him until he and Ed gave up and decided to leave. He spotted the hulking metal form up ahead, and crept closer.

As it happened, Alphonse was chatting with one of the young women who worked in the library. Envy mentally rolled his eyes and slowly climbed up the pile of books that Alphonse had stacked behind him. For not having a physical flesh-and-blood body, Al managed to flirt with a lot of girls. Almost the polar opposite of Ed, who was no more a flirt than he was a centaur.

He coiled around the dusty books and reared his head up past Al's shoulder, looking down at the girl, who promptly noticed him.

"Aaaah!" she screeched, falling back on her butt and trying to scramble away, "s-snake!"

"Huh?" Alphonse turned to come face-to-face with Envy.

"Hiya, Elric," Envy whispered, enjoying Al's frustrated groan as the boy turned back around.

"It's all right, I'll take care of it!" he said with a nervous laugh, trying to comfort the girl, who by this point had gotten up and ran screaming to the front. Edward rounded the corner furiously, books held under his arms and papers flying out from behind him.

"Envy!" he hissed in a vicious whisper, knowing all too well that the Homunculus had something to do with this. Upon seeing the python, he got all the visual information he needed and set the books down, "Alphonse, give him to me and check out all the books we collected," he glared at Envy, "we're working from home."

He snatched up Envy rather harshly and ran outside with him in tow. Once they were down the steps and secure in an alleyway, he held the snake out at arm's length.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! I tell you not to mess around in there and you end up scaring some poor girl to death!"

"No, you told me not to give you a blowjob," Envy corrected. Edward couldn't believe he was hearing this from a snake, "besides, you told me to amuse myself. So I did!"

"Brother," Alphonse ran into the alleyway and paused at the entrance, a thick canvas bag filled to the brim with books at his side, "I got the books..."

"Good. Let's get going..." he sighed and draped Envy around his neck before shooting him a warning glance, "no talking in public."

Envy nodded, a snake's grin unmoving on his face.

* * *

"Brother...brother...?"

"Nnh..." he slowly opened his eyes to see Alphonse's blank armor face and red eyes hovering above him, "Al?"

"You fell asleep while studying...it's nine `o clock at night now. Envy wanted me to get you up, he said something about a parfait...and he drew something weird on your face."

Edward shot up from the couch and dashed to the bathroom, cursing between gritted teeth. He wouldn't put it past Envy to draw something _phallic_ on his sleeping face, nor did he expect anything less. He skidded to a halt in front of the bathroom mirror, peering closely into the grimy surface. At first he couldn't tell what it was, except that it was drawn in thick black on his right cheek. Then it struck him.

It was an earthworm. An earthworm with huge eyes, one tooth, and a scar on its head.

"Envy!" he roared, pluging from the bathroom and shooting rocket-like into the bedroom, "what the HELL is this?!"

He stopped and gaped in amazement. Envy stood against the farthest wall, back in his preferred form, still wearing Edward's jacket, and with a large black marker in his hand. Surrounding him were several pictures of the same worm, all drawn in heavy black on the wall.

"It's a worm," he said almost proudly, tapping one of the drawings with the end of the marker, then spreading his arms dramatically as if announcing that his life's work was complete, "I call him...Senor Worm."

"You...you ruined the wall!" Edward moaned, stamping his feet in a childlike tantrum.

"Oh, shut up, you can just fix it with alchemy, can't you?" he tossed the marker aside carelessly and practically skipped up to Edward, "I want my parfait."

"Okay...okay, you know what?" Edward stuffed his hands into his pants pocket, pulling out a cluster of coins, and shoved them into Envy's hands, "the store is right across the street. Big letters that spell out G-R-O-C-E-R-Y. Can't miss it. _You_ go in by _yourself _and buy a parfait."

"Where will you be?"

"Right...here," the Alchemist growled, "removing these freakish scar-headed worms from my wall."

"It's not funny to insult him, O'Chibi, he got that scar from a lobotomy."

With a groan, Edward put his hands to Envy's back and shoved him out the door.

"Go!"

Envy stared indignantly as the door shut before him, but didn't dally long. He placed the cenz inside the pocket of Edward's jacket and sauntered down the hall.

* * *

Roy had gone to a lot of trouble to track the Elrics down. Luckily for him, Edward and Alphonse weren't the type of people to go unnoticed, so he had a lot of help from those who had claimed to meet them on their travels. He was now at his most recent lead, having had issued a report saying he had to leave there on some bullshit count of business that he had made up last minute. The higher-ups hadn't been too happy with his request for such a sudden departure, and because of this he had to leave his subordinates behind to make up the work.

He sighed as he tramped through the rainy streets, his umbrella held low. This business with Edward was just too strange to go unnoticed. It _had _to be investigated. It frustrated him endlessly that he could never get any information out of the boy, yet it was _Edward_ that worked for _him_. More importantly, he was worried; Ed had something to do with that chimera, which he suspected had something to do with the Fuhrer. It didn't sit right, but somehow he couldn't add it up.

From across the street, he saw a familiar flash of red exiting the grocery store. He almost dropped his umbrella and ran toward it before he realized; it was Ed's jacket, all right, but the person in it definitely wasn't Ed.

He couldn't get a good look through the drizzle and the darkness, but this person had extremely long, dark hair, and for some reason was barefoot. He stopped and stared. Whoever it was was heading toward the military dorms.

Clenching the handle of his umbrella tightly, he followed.

* * *

**Long chapter! Whoo! Sorry, I'd have had it up sooner, but was being kinda weird and wouldn't let me submit things for the past couple of days.**


	19. Watching

**Gnatte: Your first question shall be answered shortly, as will your second! As for your third, that remains to be seen, though I shall do my best. =D**

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Long and drab, the halls of the East City military dorms stretched on, as relentless as the man stalking through them. His quarry was quick; not hurrying but simply swift and purposeful, padding along the corridors almost silently and rounding the corners with sharp, graceful movements. But Roy was adept at following people, even those who went to lengths not to be followed. It was part of his military training, and, he thought with a pang of annoyance, the product of having to deal with the Elric brothers.

As he followed, he tried to get a better look to determine if this was Ed in some half-baked disguise. He concluded almost immediately that it was not, most importantly because he wouldn't be wearing his trademark jacket, and because all of Ed's disguises were always incredibly poorly executed when it came to recognizing his face and body type. Roy really expected more from an Alchemist with Ed's amount of flair.

No, this boy (at least he suspected it was a boy, or a very flat-chested girl) was taller than Ed, though not by much, and almost twig like in the build of his body. And certainly much paler, with dark eyes and that tangled mass of hair.

The boy seemed much too preoccupied to notice he was being followed, even in the narrow confines of the halls. He held in one hand a small, packaged parfait and was reading the tag attached to it with interest. Soon enough, he came upon one of the doors, glanced at the number, and stopped, putting a hand to the doorknob.

Roy quickly ducked behind the corner. Having noted the number on the door, he listened carefully. Apparently the door had been locked, for there was much rattling and a heavy, growling sigh.

"Chib-button!!" the boy (or was it? That voice was so feminine, Roy was now rethinking his guess) yelled, knocking stubbornly at the door in between rattling the doorknob handle, "let me in, or--"

The door opened and with a jolt, Roy heard what was clearly Ed's voice.

"Shut the hell up and get inside! You're gonna wake everyone up with that yelling!" Ed huffed, though he was yelling almost as loud as his visitor had been. Roy heard them both retreat inside, and after the slam of the door, strained to hear Ed say something about stupid nicknames.

The Colonel slowly moved from his hiding place to the front of the door, gazing at it somberly. Was this the reason why Ed had been behaving so strangely? It had to have something to do with it...was this odd person Ed's lover? Roy almost snorted at the idea. From what he could tell, Edward had about as much interest in sex as he did in shopping for colorful hats.

Roy sighed. He didn't have the time or the resources to stakeout the dorms, and had the feeling that even if he did, it wouldn't get him anywhere. No, the time had come to approach Ed directly about everything; about Demorest, about the dragon, about this...person Edward seemed to have taken in.

And Edward would have to tell the truth. Roy wasn't going to give them the chance to make up a story; he hadn't heard the door being locked back.

Grabbing the knob in one hand, he gave the brass fixture a mighty wrench and threw the door inward.

" --think it's the chocolate sprinkles that really get me..." the strange boy had just finished saying as he looked up at Roy in surprise.

The whole scene looked to Roy like a painting or a photograph; the visitor sitting at the small table, spoon poised above the parfait, Edward stone-still and staring, standing behind the boy's chair, Alphonse, sitting motionless on the floor except for the piece of string that fell limply out of his hand and the tiny kitten that jumped to attack it.

The still and silence continued for a few more moments before several things happened at once. The boy's face contorted into an angry sneer, Alphonse jumped to his feet, and Edward, pale and wide-eyed, rushed over to the doorway.

"What....what're you...why?" Edward asked, breathless.

"It's my job to make sure you aren't doing anything stupid, Ed," Roy answered, closing the door behind him in a definitive gesture, "and things on your end have been reeking of stupidity lately. I want an explanation, and I want it now."

Roy thought for sure Ed wouldn't have an answer, but in one blink of the eye, Ed's shock vanished and was replaced with an expression of yielding frustration.

"He came from Demorest…he's an artist, and he was planning to paint the landscapes there, but…you know…the chimeras and all…he was hurt," Edward looked up at Roy with a pleading expression, almost as if begging him to understand, "so we helped him, nursed him back to health…and he's been travelling with us off and on since then."

Roy gazed over at the boy. He slumped with his cheek resting on his palm, looking pretty much disgusted with Roy in general. Ed's story made sense, but it still didn't explain some things…

"And the dragon chimera?"

"What about it?" Edward snapped, already sick with the conversation and glaring defiantly at the older man.

"You let it escape."

"Dammit, Mustang, you don't freaking listen!!" Ed groaned, throwing his hands hopelessly in the air, "I didn't let it escape, it escaped on its own! Why don't you believe me?!"

"You haven't exactly made a name for yourself in the honesty department, Full Metal," Roy snapped back, increasingly agitated with the boy's attitude toward him, "why was that thing near your dorm in the first pl—"

"It followed me."

Everyone looked toward Envy as he shoved back his chair and stood, hands flat against the dark wood of the table. His head was bowed and softly shaking from side to side.

"It followed me…I know it did…from Demorest…"

Ed stared at Envy for a moment, then threw Roy an accusatory look.

"Way to upset him, Colonel. He's been through a lot, you know!"

The Colonel walked forward slowly, watching Envy with a meticulously controlled expression of nothing but the purest sympathy.

"All right…I won't mention it any more. What's your name?"

"Evan," Envy sniffed, "Evan Poynton."

Edward almost rolled his eyes at Envy's theatrics, but decided it would behoove all of them if he just kept a straight face and nodded somberly to himself.

"Have you been staying with Full Metal this entire time?"

"No," Envy shook his head, demurely averting his gaze from Roy, "they saved me…and were so nice to me…I didn't want to be a burden, so, many times I tried to go off on my own. But I could never find a place to stay, so I went back to them…"

"So, you and Ed are close friends by now, hm?" Roy asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

Envy looked up, staring back at him with the shadow of a boastful smirk on his lips.

"The closest."

Edward paled and clenched his fists out of the corner of Roy's eye.

"I see. Well, Edward, you should have told me you had a lover. I could have forgiven more easily the gargantuan amounts of idiocy you've shown lately. To be young and in love…" Roy paused with a hand to his chin, no doubt reminiscing about the multitudes of girlfriends he'd stolen from Havoc.

"I don't want anyone to know," Edward pouted in return, "don't tell anyone."

"But Ed," Roy moved forward, standing right in front of him, "I'm already not telling anyone about your brother…"

"Fine, then!" Ed spat, then turned away and crossed his arms, looking a little too cocky for someone of his stature, "I just feel bad for everyone when they find out that Edward Elric, Full Metal Alchemist, the Hero of the People, is taken. Might cause a few riots from heartbroken women."

"Oh, I don't think we'll have anything to worry about," Roy snorted, earning a vicious glare from Ed, "to tell the truth, I'm surprised you were able to find someone who could stand your company for more than an hour or two. I really thought Alphonse was the only one gifted enough to do that."

That earned a nervous giggle from Alphonse as he rubbed the back of his helmet, trying to avoid Edward's furious expression as he ground his teeth together.

"Isn't it time for you to leave?" Ed strode to the door and opened it, beckoning for Roy to step outside.

"Not just yet, Ed. I have one more question for you…at least for the moment. Why did you leave Central to come here, of all places?"

"I thought I'd be far enough away from you that I could relax."

"Not so lucky, then, were you? The real reason, Ed."

"…the Philosopher's Stone," Edward finally answered, "we need new leads. We thought we might have missed something when we were in East City, so we came back. Besides, E…Evan…really wanted to see it."

"I was sorely disappointed, by the way," Envy remarked offhandedly, sitting back in his seat and staring boredly at the kitchen cabinets.

"Yes, I know how that feels," Roy answered stiffly, then looked toward Ed, "well, I also have business to attend to in East City," he gave a controlling grin, "guess I'll take a room here and when we're both finished, we'll head back to Central so I can issue you a new project. How about that?"

"Whatever," Ed said sourly, not looking at him, his hand still on the doorknob.

"I'll see you later, then," the Colonel walked past them and out into the hall. Edward tried to slam the door as hard as he could, but a cushion of air resulted in a frustratingly soft "swoosh" as the door gently closed.

"Have you ever thought about killing him?" Envy remarked conversationally as he dug his spoon into the parfait.

"More times than you know, Envy," Ed sighed.

* * *

The meeting had not pleased Roy, not at all. Several questions still went unanswered, so many loose ends that needed to be tied up before someone tripped on the forgotten ropes…and above all, the nagging thought in his head that he had seen Evan Poynton somewhere before.


	20. Leviathan

**Has it really been four years? Wow. That's either impressive, or sad. Lol.**

**Anyway, I have the idea of refurbishing, if you will, this story. In other words, improving the writing, fixing some grammatical/spelling errors, and above all, melding some of the chapters together so there aren't TWENTY MILLION CHAPTERS but instead a more reasonable number. So that's just a warning, if you come visit one day and see things are all different, don't be afraid! Change is good. Sometimes.**

**As always, I thank each and every one of you for reading and putting up with the waits for these long years.**

* * *

The next few days went by in a blur of activity. Edward and Envy, intent on avoiding the ever-watchful eyes of the Colonel, insisted on romping about the city and visiting indiscriminate locations whenever they felt they were being followed too closely. Most of this was caused by simple paranoia, since, as Alphonse tried to point out numerous times, Roy didn't seem to be following them at all. But the couple weren't the types to listen to, or take, good advice, so Alphonse's protests yielded useless and he followed them with practiced reluctance.

One dreary afternoon, they found themselves packed into a cluttered little bookshop flanking the corner of the ever-dismal West Street Park. The shop seemed to hold more trinkets than books, with shelf after shelf of wooden children's toys and statuettes. Once Alphonse had managed to edge himself inside, he began inspecting a display of ceramic kitten statues with keen interest. Knowing they had lost him, Edward grabbed Envy's hand and dragged him deeper into the store.

"Why're we here?" Envy whined, dodging a rack of stuffed animals that sat smiling under the flickering, dim lights, "it smells weird in here, and it's all dark!"

"I thought you liked the dark," Edward huffed in response, "and I was looking for some alchemy books. There's gotta be some in here, don't you think?"

"For what it's worth, no," the Homunculus sniffed pretentiously as Ed paused to examine a wooden bookstand filled with dusty tomes.

"And why not?" Edward asked, a little irately. He looked up in the habitual visual search for his brother. The shop was so packed with items that he couldn't even see the top of Al's head.

"Intuition," Envy said, placing his hands on the backs of Ed's shoulders.

"Oh yeah?" asked Ed, bemused, "and where did you get this intuition from?"

"The grocery store," Envy leaned forward to nip the side of Edward's neck playfully. Ed couldn't help but smile.

"That so? I didn't know they were selling that now."

Envy let out a noncommittal hum and kissed Ed's neck, wrapping his thin limbs around the alchemist's waist. Edward closed his eyes, tilting his head to accommodate the slightly chapped lips against his skin, the button nose brushing against his ear, the wet tongue slowly licking the ridge of his Auto-mail…

And before he knew it, he was on the floor in a pool of decrepit-looking teddy bears, Envy wrapped around him and kissing him slowly. Envy's cold hands wandered up Ed's strong back, eliciting a gasp that Envy loved to savor.

"Envy," whispered Edward in between their kisses, and after each touch of the lips, in the silence left after the gentle sounds, they gazed into each other's eyes, Ed's orb-like and bright, Envy's sharp and shrewd. They stared and they kissed, and they felt safer and warmer in the run-down bookshop than they had anywhere else in recent memory.

"Public displays of affection are against the law, Full Metal," came an amused voice from above. Edward wrenched his lips away from Envy, who was still in mid-pucker, to see Mustang standing over them, adorned with an old book tucked under one arm and that typical, cocky smirk on his face.

"I knew you were following us!" Edward yelled, jumping to his feet.

"Why should I have reason to follow you, Ed?" Roy asked casually, shrugging, "Seeing as you aren't up to anything. I assume you came here for information on the Philosopher's Stone and got…distracted."

Edward blushed and gave a quick jerk of the head that Roy took to be an embarrassed nod. Envy stood and wrapped his arms possessively around Ed while staring evenly at the Colonel.

Roy ignored Envy and continued,

"Well, I'm afraid you're out of luck. I've been coming to this bookshop for years, and they never have anything on alchemy. Except this," he lifted up the book slightly, "but it's just an old book of children's stories, even if they do mention the science in passing."

"Then what do you want with it?" Edward asked assertively, grimacing as Envy leaned on him with more weight, beginning to drag him down slightly.

"I am an alchemist too, if you'll remember," sighed Roy, "but really it's just a present for Elicia."

"Good. You've got it, now you can leave. Dammit, stop that!" Ed growled, already halfway closer to the floor than he usually was due to Envy's pressure on him. Envy backed up with his hands held high in surrender and Edward raised himself to his full, if not very impressive, height.

"Shall we leave together? I believe your business is through here. Where's your brother?"

"Perusing the cat collection," Envy answered for Ed while gazing away in boredom, something that the Homunculus, Ed noted, tended to do quite a lot.

"Ah," Roy said, hiding his surprise that Envy had spoken to him. He began striding to the front of the store, and Ed, grudgingly, followed.

"So, what is it?" Edward asked as they left the store and headed back out into the rainy streets.

"What's what?" Roy said without looking at him.

"You wanted us to leave with you, so there must be something you wanted from us! Right?"

Roy sighed.

"Yes, actually. This is completely off the record, of course, but I'd like to know what else Fuhrer Bradley asked of you the night the dragon chimera escaped."

Edward stayed silent, splashing through puddles caught between the dingy street cobblestones. Envy followed carelessly behind him, and Alphonse behind Envy. After a few moments, Edward shook his head and shrugged.

"Everything I told you. Really."

"And did the chimera actually escape? Or did you let it?"

"I let it, okay!! I felt bad for it, it was a living thing…"

"That seems to be a constant excuse," Roy sighed, looking up into the sky. Earlier the rain had shown signs of slackening off, but the sky had broken both its promise and its torrents, and the water fell faster and harder than before. They kept to the sidewalk, taking shelter under awnings, and raised their voices to be heard, "Edward, be honest with me, will you? Weren't the Fuhrer's actions a bit suspicious? Didn't you question why he asked you to tame a beast that attacked him, without wondering who made it or why?"

"Yeah, it was a little weird. But he must have his reasons…why, you planning to usurp him or something?" Ed added, ignoring Envy's tittering giggles.

"That's not why I asked you, Ed. I'm just trying to make sense of this whole business you're involved in, and it's quite difficult, seeing as neither you nor the Fuhrer will tell me what's going on."

"Sorry," shrugged Edward, with a tone of voice that suggested he wasn't sorry at all.

"Right," was Roy's fatigued response. As they reached a small pharmacy, he hung back, "I'm going to get some medicine for the splitting headache you've given me, Full Metal. I trust you'll be able to get back to your dorm safely?"

"We'll be safe," Envy said haughtily, "safer than we would be having an Asian manwhore with us," he shot Roy a leering grin as he skipped by.

"What?!"

But Edward had snatched Envy's hand and dragged him off, though Roy could not help but hear the straining of Ed's suppressed sniggers. He also could not help noticing, as Envy had passed, the strange tattoo that adorned the boy's muscular thigh…he had seen just a flash of it, but saw enough to know he had seen it somewhere before…but where?

* * *

"That was reckless, Envy," Edward's fingers slid in and out of Envy's dark hair as they lay together, wrapped in a tangle of covers, "insulting the Colonel like that…"

"You laughed."

"Yeah, it was pretty funny," he admitted, wrapping his arm around Envy, who pressed his back close against Ed's curved body. The alchemist sighed softly, "…we've been beating around the bush for what seems like forever. We haven't found a single lead to the Philosopher's Stone…I hope Al doesn't think I've given up on him. He's been so patient, following us around like this…putting up with us…"

"Putting up with you, you mean. I'm delightful to be around," Envy turned his head slightly and smiled through the darkness. Edward snorted.

"Delightfully obnoxious, you mean. You're definitely something else…"'

They lay in silence for a few minutes, until Edward spoke again, softly, as if unsure whether or not Envy was still awake, "Envy…what were you like when you were human?"

"What do you mean? I've always been a Homunculus…I've always been…me," Envy answered, now staring steadily at the ceiling, a tint of confusion mixed into his tone.

"But you have memories from your…your human self, right? The person you were created from…who were you? What were you like? How did you die, who brought you back? I'm just…really curious, I guess. You know everything about me, and there's so much I don't know about you…"

Envy tore away from Edward, the nighttime darkness doing nothing to hide the scowl on his face.

"I'm a Homunculus, O'Chibi, not a human. I'm me…I'm Envy. That's it. Don't kid yourself by thinking there's some kind of underlying humanity in me, 'cuz there's not."

"I wasn't saying that!" Edward exclaimed, sitting up, "I was just—"

"Whatever," Envy growled and slid out of bed and out of the room. Edward stared at the door in confusion and anger, then threw himself back against the pillow.

"Guess I hit a nerve," he muttered.

* * *

Alphonse looked up as Envy came storming from the bedroom. He tried not to notice that Envy seemed to be wearing his brother's boxers, but he couldn't help it, and so he just tried not to think about it.

"Envy, what's wrong?" he asked in his usual polite, concerned voice. His kitten, resting in his lap, stirred slightly, then sank back into sleep.

"Your idiot brother," Envy answered, flopping face-down on the couch and hugging a pillow to him, "is an idiot."

"That's a little redundant…did you have a fight?"

"He asked me," Envy glared out from under the pillow, "what I was like before I was a Homunculus. I've always been a Homunculus!"

Envy glared at Alphonse for a few more moments, then growing sick of the blank, staring mask, he pulled the pillow over his head tightly and muttered more nasty things about Edward that he hoped Al could hear. Alphonse considered him silently for a moment, then spoke.

"He didn't mean to offend you, Envy…" he said slowly, choosing his words carefully as Envy peeked out from under the pillow yet again, "Brother is the type that…that doesn't just come out and say what's on his mind. At least when it comes to emotions. By asking that, he was probably hoping…well, that Sloth could still be considered our mother. That maybe we succeeded in bringing her back to life, maybe she could be changed back into a human, and we could be a family again…that's the kind of thing…" Alphonse lowered his head, watching the tiny kitten sleep, "that brother would be thinking."

"Then you must have been thinking it as well," Envy remarked offhandedly, taking more pleasure than he believed he should have in Al's shocked gasp, "I mean, to think of a reason like that…you must've had the idea in your head too. Right?"

Alphonse sat still except for a reluctant nod of the head.

"Yeah…I won't lie, I've thought about it. Vaguely. But Brother and I both know that's impossible…and even if it was possible, we aren't foolish enough to try something like that."

Envy gazed at the wall, his vision partially obscured by the pillow and his own long hair, his arm draping over the side of the couch and brushing the dirty floor. He would have liked to bother Alphonse more, make the armored boy as uncomfortable as possible…but he was just too tired. Sleep fell over him, and Alphonse sighed and covered him with a blanket.

* * *

Edward's dreams were dominated by screaming chimeras, wicked laughter and flames. Bright columns of flame that licked the dark clouds and illuminated hordes of dragons that flew in formations across the sky…they shifted and melted and formed into puzzles, mazes, labyrinths, and then fell from the heavens onto him, so that he was lost in their depths and could not find a way out. And the entire time, he heard a voice, it could have been Al's, crying for him…

He awoke with a start to find Envy standing over him, his long hair tickling the skin of Edward's face and neck.

"The Hero of the People awakens!" he said sarcastically, throwing his hands into the air with mock joy. Edward sat up, rubbing his eyes, his heart still pounding from the dream.

"So you're talking to me? I thought you'd be giving me the silent treatment for the rest of the week."

"I thought about it, but I came up with a better solution. You can apologize to me by making me cookies."

"That's it?" Edward stared up in amazement. Envy didn't seem to be lying; he nodded, his mouth set in a thin frown.

"Unless you'd rather not apologize to me, in which case I could—"

"No, no! Cookies are fine, I'll make you cookies! What kind do you want?"

Envy sighed, beleaguered, as if far too busy to deal with a peasant like Edward.

"Chocolate chip, of course."

"Right…I'll go get the ingredients right now," Edward hopped out of bed and pulled his clothes on. Envy sat down with one leg over the other, picking at the hem of his black skirt, ignoring Ed as he darted out the door and past a very confused Alphonse.

Edward returned minutes later with a bag full of ingredients. Alphonse joined him in the kitchen, and together they set to work.

"We'll make `em with alchemy; that'll be quicker, and the quicker Envy has them, the quicker he'll forgive me. Hopefully, at least."

"Good idea, Brother. You really hurt Envy's feelings last night, you know, and—"

"Feelings? What're you talking about, I just don't want him to hurt me!"

"You're awful!" Alphonse squealed, smacking Edward upside the head with a bag of flour, "you're just saying that! You know you care about his feelings, you're just trying to act tough!"

"Stop hitting your big brother!!" Edward slammed a cooking tray into Al's head, making the helmet ring loudly.

After a good ten minutes of fighting, fifty seconds of grudging apologies, and two minutes of alchemic performance, the cookies were finally ready. Edward and Alphonse stepped out of the kitchen, Ed holding the tray full of cookies proudly. Envy looked up from laying on the couch, an eyebrow arched.

"Here ya go, Envy!" he set them down on the table, "chocolate chip cookies. Forgive me now?"

"…no."

"What?! But you said—"

"Those are the wrong cookies. I wanted my chocolate chip cookies to have exactly 21 chocolate chips in each. Didn't I say that?"

"No…" Edward seethed through gritted teeth, "you conveniently forgot to mention that."

"Well, I'm mentioning it now."

"Fine!" he yelled, snatching up the tray and marching back to the kitchen. He kneaded all the cookies together on a cutting board, and after some careful calculation, split them up again before taking them back out and plopping the tray in front of Envy.

"There. 21 chocolate chips in each cookie. Happy now?"

"No."

"Why not!?"

"I forgot to tell you, I wanted them to be shaped like dinosaurs," Envy gave a theatrical sigh and turned his back to Ed, cuddling against the couch cushions, "oh well… I just can't forgive you `til those cookies are shaped like dinosaurs…"

Edward screamed his frustration, then slammed his hands together and spread them over the cookies, which formed from roundish blobs into fairly accurate dinosaur shapes.

"There!!! Dinosaur-shaped chocolate chip cookies that have 21 chocolate chips in each cookie! Now forgive me, dammit!"

Envy looked over his shoulder at the cookies, unimpressed.

"…they aren't moving or roaring."

"…let me get this straight," Edward asked, a trembling hand placed over his face, his mouth twisted in a furious grin, "you want…these cookies…to _move_...and _roar_?"

Envy nodded innocently. Edward screwed his eyes up tight, took a deep breath, and clapped his hands again.

"Fine. Why not?"

In a blaze of crackling bluish light, each of the cookies stood. Some stalked slowly about the tray, while others wrenched their chocolatey mouths wide and roared tinny roars. Envy turned around and sat up, finally interested.

"Okay. There you go. Dinosaur-shaped cookies that move and roar, each with exactly 21 chocolate chips in it. _Are. You. Happy. Now?_"

Envy shrugged and picked up a cookie of the long-necked variety and bit into it. He immediately pulled a disgusted face and hurled the now-suffering sauropod back onto the tray, where the other cookies immediately made a beeline for it.

"No good."

"WHAT?!?! It's EXACTLY what you wanted! EXACTLY!!! What could POSSIBLY be wrong with them now?!"

"I can taste the alchemy," Envy said simply, then laid back down, facing away from Ed.

Edward grabbed the sides of his head and screamed loud enough to make Al's kitten climb up the curtains in fear.

"You're impossible, Envy! You know that?! Impossible!!"

"All I wanted was some cookies, and you can't even do that…"

"Aaauugh!!" Edward stalked off to the bedroom and slammed the door so hard that the walls shook and the curtains came tumbling down from the curtain rod, kitten and all. Envy smirked to himself, the small dorm filled with Al's yelps of horror and Ed's frantic cursing in the next room.

* * *

"Sir, you can't just stalk the Elric brothers for the rest of your life you know," Hawkeye's voice sounded disapproving even over the crackling of the phone's receiver, "especially when you are needed back here in Central."

"I'm just trying to make sense of this whole thing, Hawkeye," Roy shuffled through some loose papers, the phone held flush against his ear and shoulder, "something's not right. This boy Ed is shacking up with particularly bothers me…something's wrong with him."

"Of course something's wrong with him, he's dating Ed," came Havoc's amused snicker from the background.

"Havoc, please stop standing behind me and listening to my conversations," Hawkeye snapped, "and Colonel, this request to come back to Central does not come from me, it comes from your superiors. I am very sorry."

"Right…I'll try to book a train for tomorrow morning. I'll call you later with the plans."

"Thank you, sir."

Roy hung up and leaned against the chair, studying each sheaf of paper with scrutinizing ebony eyes. The notes, the symbols, the drawings…he had been searching through them for hours and couldn't find what he had been looking for. But he distinctly remembered seeing that marking somewhere before…

And then the word sprang up, suddenly, in his mind.

Homunculus.

He had read it before, somewhere, and more recently…his gaze left the papers and fell on the old book that rested on the worn table in front of him. He snatched it up and rifled through its yellowed pages. There were the typical children's stories; the boy who used alchemy to make a beanstalk grow to fantastic proportions, the woman with the long hair who was locked in the tower, trying to teach herself the science in order to escape…

And at least he came to it, a chapter with big letters scrawling across the top of the page…

Ena and the Homunculus.

Beside the title, a small drawing of a winged serpent, wrapped around a star and biting at its own tail…and on the next page there was an even more impressive illustration…

A gigantic dragon towering over a tiny girl. Its neck was long and curved, with a heavy jaw ready to snap…it's gleaming talons curved over the burning wreckage of village huts, and two huge, leathery wings spread into the air…a heavy tail whipped behind it.

The breath left Roy the minute he had seen the picture.

It was a bit bigger, perhaps, and rendered solidly in the thick ink of a woodblock print, but there was no question; Roy remembered each detail, the smaller horns that jutted out from behind its skull, the wild pupils staring in slits, the pronounced ridges where the thigh bones met the hip...it was the exact image of the dragon that had attacked Central just days earlier.

* * *

**The plot thickens! Thanks again for reading, I hope to have the next chapter out soon, hopefully before classes start again.**


	21. Paragon

**This chapter is really short, BUT...I didn't want to leave you guys hanging. In a few hours I'll be leaving for Tokyo and I'll be gone for two weeks, so the next chapter won't be up any time soon, but I just wanted to let you know I AM NOT DEAD!!!**

* * *

One day Edward looked up from his musing over an ancient book to find Tar-tar staring at him, tail twitching in slight annoyance. Alphonse had left to get the kitten some gourmet cat food, remarking airily that "Tar-tar deserves the best" when Edward had raised his eyebrows skeptically. It occurred to Edward that Tar-tar looked very different from the last time he had actually paid attention to the cat...lost awkwardly between the stocky stunt of kittendom and the sleek grace that came to cats with age.

"Envy, I think the cat's grown."

"That is generally what they do," Envy answered flatly, playing with the magic trick rings Edward had bought to keep him busy.

"Ugh, you're impossible. I just meant...I mean, wasn't he just a baby?" he turned to look at Envy, who only hummed an uninterested reply. Sighing, Edward turned back to look past he cat, lost in his thoughts.

So the kitten had grown. That meant he, Edward, had grown as well. Even if it didn't show, he was constantly growing. It's just what happened. Cells replicated, pulled apart, added mass and weight and numbers...

And yet, his little brother stayed the same. A body that doesn't exist can't grow. It was almost like the whole world, Edward included, was moving past Alphonse. Ed's heart fell heavily. The thought made him beyond depressed. He glanced at Envy. Was the Homunculus stuck still in time as well? Did he grow as time wore on, only to reshape himself into his preferred form? Or was he like Alphonse, where his mind, memories, even feelings grew, but his physical being remained untouched and inhuman? Both, monsters who suffered so horribly due to another person's mistake?

"O'Chibi," Envy's voice sounded from far away, bringing Edward back from his reverie. The Homunculus was only inches away from him, a bewildered look on his face, "O'Chibi, you're crying."

"Am not!" Edward barked defensively before bringing his left hand to his eyes. When he felt the tears hot against the side of his palm, he was stunned.

Envy cocked his head to the side. He didn't snort or raise an eyebrow, as Edward expected, nor did he look worried or shocked...it was plain curiosity, the same type of curiosity that got Envy into so much trouble, over and over again.

"Chibi..." Envy murmured, leaning forward to lick the salty tears off Edward's cheeks, "don't cry, your Envy's here..."

"I know," Ed half-laughed, half-shuddered, closing his eyes as Envy licked at the lids like a kitten. Envy crawled into the alchemist's lap and strung his thin arms about Ed's neck, lapping at his flesh and mewling in contentment.

Ed's hands traced the ridges of Envy's spine, spread across the sinewy muscles of his sides and grasped at the sharp hipbones underneath the black skirt. They were kissing now, hot and heavy and deep, and Edward thought he was going to cry again, though he didn't know why. He was sure Envy sensed it, because the arms wound tighter around him and the kisses became more needy and reassuring. But still the tears came and covered both their faces in hot glaze.

"Why do you cry, O'Chibi?" Envy murmured against Edward's lips, his hands snaking into Ed's unbraided hair.

"I don't know, Envy," Edward whispered back, feeling the desperate need for Envy to hold him tighter, "Just...please..."

Envy seemed to understand, and his grip on Edward became almost fierce with possession and the kisses traveled down to Ed's neck, to his chest, to his stomach...And before Edward knew it, he was on his back with Envy placing hot kisses onto his lengthening erection, each lick and peck taking away whatever pain Ed had been feeling.

"Aaah...Envy..." Edward groaned, tangling his hands into Envy's hair, grasping and pulling at the long strands, "Yes..."

Envy placed his hands neatly on Edward's bare hips, relishing the noises that the alchemist made and the thrashing of the powerful body beneath him. Slyly, he moved from between Ed's legs back to his lips, kissing him deeply before the alchemist could groan out his protest.

Alphonse came in on a very interesting scene. His brother, sans trousers or boxers, and Envy, on the floor. Envy on all fours over Ed, kissing him deeply, his rear end high up in the air. His skirt was much too short to hide anything, and his shorts too tight to leave anything to the imagination. Alphonse gasped soundlessly and ran back into the hallway, shutting the door behind him.

Sometimes this relationship was hard on him.

* * *

The evening found Edward and Envy content in bed, protected from the chill by snuggling deep into the covers. Edward was sound asleep, curled up against a pillow, and Envy was trying his best to get to sleep as well. He wondered how Ed could sleep so deeply...probably because he read so many books.

Too many books, Envy thought. What was so great about books anyway? They kinda smelled, in his very professional opinion.

He sighed and glanced over Edward's head toward the window. The night was dark blue outside and drops of rain gathered on the dirty panes of glass...but below the window, he caught a glint of red.

The window was propped open, ever so slightly, and on the stained sill beneath rested a handful of Red Stones. Envy's eyes widened and he felt his stomach go cold. It couldn't be possible, but there they were. The color of blood and shining in the muted lamplight from the street outside. The light almost danced within them, drawing him in, beckoning him to taste them, and with them, he would be complete once again.

Before he knew it, he was scrambling to the window, he held the precious gems in his hands, felt their smooth surfaces pulsing with the heat and life that would soon be pulsing within him...

He was suddenly and violently jerked backwards, and the Stones flew from his hands and clattered to the floor in all different directions.

"No!" he shrieked and squirmed out of the iron grip, turning around with wild eyes to face Edward, whose skin was pale in the darkness.

"Envy, you can't have those!" Edward reached out to grab Envy's wrist, pulling him further away from the shining gemstones.

"Why not!?" Envy snarled back, his wrist shaking in Edward's hand, "I'm not a dog, and you can't tell me what I can and can't have!" he lunged toward the floor at the Stones, pulling Edward down with him, and with his hands desperately scrabbled to pick them up. Even just touching them made him feel stronger than he had lately, able to transform and heal and fight like he rightfully should.

"Envy!" Edward screamed, locking his arms behind Envy's and wrestling him backwards, away from the stones. He managed to flip the Homunculus over on his back and pin him down, "Envy, please stop!!"

"Why?!" Envy growled again, struggling, "you want me to be weak?! You want me to suffer?!"

"No, Envy! But I saw what those things did to Wrath, they can change you! I don't want you to..."

"To what?!"

"To stop loving me!!"

They stared at each other for a moment, each shocked with the words Edward had spoken. He sat up on Envy's waist once the Sin had stopped struggling, and still gazed down at him, his face red. Envy's mouth twisted into a bizarre hybrid between a sneer and a pout, and all the while his cheeks were tinged with an unmistakable pink.

"I never told you I loved you."

"Yeah...I...I know...I just..."

"Do you love me?"

"What?"

"It's not that difficult of a question, Chib! Do you love me?"

Edward threw his head to the side, blushing intensely.

"...could be. Do you love me?" he muttered almost soundlessly. Envy watched Edward, and felt his heart swell again with those damn human emotions he once swore he didn't have.

"...could be."

Edward looked at Envy, then back at the Red Stones blinking threateningly in the dim light, and finally, back at Envy, with desperation in his eyes and his voice.

"Envy, I love you. I love you so much. And I don't want those things to change you...please, Envy..." he leaned forward as if he could press his whole being into Envy, be absorbed into him, "please..."

Slowly, Envy wrapped his arms around Edward and held him as close as he could.

He was loved. He was finally, FINALLY loved. Dante couldn't give that too him, nor could any of the other Sins, nor could any stupid crimson rocks.

"I love you too, O'Chibi..." he brushed back Edward's flaxen bangs and kissed the alchemist's full lips, and felt that Edward was crying again, the tears falling hot on Envy's flesh. He kissed more passionately and felt the tears prickle at his own eyes, but he would not cry. He was Envy and he didn't cry. That was for humans.

He would, however, hold Edward and kiss him desperately, to remind the boy how much he needed to be loved, to feel like he was part of something. He wanted to be involved in Edward's life, because he loved him and it WAS a life...something so much more than whatever shallow half-existence he'd been trudging through the past 500 or so years.

They held each other, and they loved each other, but they couldn't rest easy because they both knew, from experience, whatever happiness either of them had would inevitably be taken away.


	22. Withdrawal

**So, Japan was amazing. The best part? I entered an art contest where 20 students got to visit Studio Ghibli and another secondary studio. I got in! Studio Ghibli was amazing, naturally, but it was really the second studio that set it all off for me.**

**I kid you not, it was the studio that's currently animating FMA: Brotherhood. I was stunned. Words cannot describe the things I felt when I saw (AND HELD!) the storyboards, the character designs, the cells...yes, I was a total loser and I cried, and used my limited knowledge of the Japanese language to try to explain to them how much I absolutely loved this series and how honored I was to be able to witness the making of it.**

**On a side note, RhiRhi mentioned in the reviews (which I am ever thankful for!) that Al seems to be neglected in this fic, and I concur completely. Alphonse is actually in a tie for my favorite character, next to Envy and Roy, so any Alphonse neglecting is purely unintentional, since I care for Alphonse as a mommy cat cares for her young. Even if he was really stupid in the latest chapter of the manga.**

**Oh, Al. You sweet, sweet, retarded boy. Okay. I've talked a lot. Onward!**

* * *

"Colonel, we're gonna need access to a lab."

Mustang cocked an eyebrow at Edward, who stood triumphantly in front of his desk, hands splayed wide upon the table. Alphonse stood behind him, fidgeting from side to side with Mustang could only assume was anticipation.

"Okay, I'll bite. A lab for what?"

"For studying things, of course!" Edward scowled back.

"Oh? What kind of things?"

"Hey!" Ed pulled his hands off the table, crossing his arms firmly against his chest, "I didn't come back here so you could play 20 Questions with me. Can you arrange a lab for us or what?"

"You would have had to come back here eventually, Ed," Mustang pushed his chair back and stood, walking to the window with his hands clasped behind his back, "Now, the sooner you tell me what you intend on studying, the sooner I can issue you a waiver to get into a laboratory. And, of course, I can keep your studies a secret, if need be." He turned back around to appraise the boys, arms still held defenselessly behind him.

Edward stared back for a moment with his typical pout, then whipped his head to the side and grumbled.

"We gained access to some of those Red Stones. We figure they're our closest bet to figuring out more about the Philosopher's Stone..."

"So you want to study the Red Stones, huh?"

"That's what I just said."

"Well, Ed, that's a pretty big secret for me to keep. And that, on top of the secret I'm already keeping concerning your bodies..."

"You said you would--"

"Relax, Ed," Mustang scribbled something on a piece of paper and ripped it off, handing it to him coolly, "I have no intention of telling anyone anything. However, I hope you'll remember this in the future should I ever need any information from you. I'm taking a lot of risks with you, so next time I ask you something, I'd appreciate a straight answer. Got it?"

Edward glared at him, the usual stubborn, piercing look Mustang expected from him.

"Got it."

* * *

Envy waited outside the office against the warm beige of the wall, arms crossed and one foot boredly tapping at the wooden floorboards. In the hours before, he had agreed to relinquish the Red Stones to Edward, and had watched with sour reluctance as the boy shoved the glittering gems into his own pockets.

It was then he had realized, love was for making fools out of people. Love was for making you weak, making you give to someone else the very things that supplemented your own existence. He didn't fail to see the symbolism that took place in handing those Stones to Edward. But still, it left a bitter taste in his mouth, and now he felt weaker than ever.

"Love," he snorted to Black Hayate, who sat curiously in front of him, "am I right?"

"What about love?"

Envy looked up to see Hawkeye standing in front of him, the end of Hayate's leash kept firm in her small hand. Envy gave her a shrewd look and sighed, staring down at the floor again.

"It sucks."

"It can," Hawkeye nodded, "so, are you in love with Ed?"

"Guess so. Kinda signed my life over to him, didn't I?"

"That can happen," she offered one of her small smiles, "the trick is to see how well he'll take care of it."

Envy narrowed his eyes in confusion, but the woman offered him nothing more than another smile, and continued walking along with her dog.

_'These humans'_ Envy thought wearily and pressed the back of his head against the wall.

Just then Edward burst from the doors of the Colonel's office, promptly swept Envy's hand up in his, and began leading his brother and the Homunculus out the compound. Envy went along silently, staring at the back of Edward's head and wondering where those Red Stones were being kept now.

* * *

Roy waited a good ten minutes before he was sure the Elrics had left before he sat down at his desk. From a drawer he pulled out the cracked and ancient storybook he had intended on giving to Elicia.

_'Sorry, Elicia, but this is a bit more important right now,'_ he thought with a guilty sigh.

The old pages flipped willingly under his fingers until he landed on Ena and the Homunculus. There was that dragon again...from his pocket he pulled out a photo that had been taken of the chimera that had attacked the Fuhrer only weeks before.

Yes, it was definitely the same one.

He flipped back to the title page and tapped the painting of the Ourobouros, the dragon that forever consumed its own tail.

There was no doubt in his mind, even with the rain and darkness that came with East City, he had seen that exact same image tattooed in dark red on 'Evan Poynton's' thigh.

With narrowed eyes, he studied the photograph again. The chimera's back left leg had been obviously injured; blood flowed from a deep gash on the calf. What's more, Roy vaguely remembered that Edward's new "friend" had been slightly favoring his own left leg, and not surprisingly. There had been a good-sized red wound on his calf as well.

He sat, mulling it all over, before pulling out his private notebook and a pen. He paused a moment, but then set to work.

'Evan Poynton' in dark black letters. And underneath...

'HOMUNCULUS,' he wrote, and underlined.

* * *

Envy spent the night sitting in the lonely darkness of a hotel room, the lights off and the curtains drawn. The bed, he supposed, would have been at least ten times more comfortable than the hard floor he sat on now, but he needed something to distract him from his thoughts.

It would be a long time until Edward and Alphonse got back from that lab. He had seem them in action. Edward, especially, could study for hours on one subject, and each hour seemed only a second to him. Envy well...envied them. How amazing to be able to pour so much of your being into thoughts, thoughts that led to progress, progress that led to results. Hopefully. Envy himself never had the talent, much less the mindset, for that kind of thing. But he, in essence, was the result of such progress driven by thoughts which were summoned like magic from the mind of an incredibly gifted, albeit jerk ass, alchemist. He knew the process well.

He rocked back and forth in the darkness, screwing his eyes shut as visions of crimson accosted him. His head ached and his muscles tensed.

Was it really supposed to be this way? It seemed like so long ago that he had been accused of being unlovable, but now he was loved. His point was made. It should have been a fantastic thing, another victory for Envy, who always came out on top in the end.

He hadn't counted on the part where he actually fell in love too...or, to mention it, the part where he had been raped and tortured. He didn't really like to dwell on that. One day he'd write a memoir of his life and he'd conveniently leave that part out. He would have to include the part about Senor Worm, though, that was very important. One of his major successes.

What had he been thinking about? His mind raced in places and failed in others, and pictures came to his mind of Greed, Ed, Hohenheim, Dante...

And the Red Stones...they were suddenly sitting on the bed right in front of him, so real he could almost taste them, but when he went to stand they vanished.

He sat back down in his place near where the bed was and started at it.

The covers were red.

* * *

Dawn worked its way well over the horizon before Edward even thought about taking a break from his research. To be accurate, he was more or less forced to by Alphonse, who had the particular knack for noticing whenever Ed started yawning too much or developed dark circles under his eyes.

"These are so pure, Al," Edward yawned, his words barely intelligible, as he leaned against the lab's cold, smooth counter, "these stones are nothing like the ones we found when we met Russell and Fletcher. I think, with these, we're headed toward a real breakthrough."

"That's great, Brother, but you really should rest."

Edward grinned up at Alphonse and gave the armor a light punch to the arm.

"Oh come on, Al, you're as excited as I am! Don't pretend you're not, you've been laughing and babbling on ever since we got this lead. It's like a complete 180 from your usual gloomy self."

"What?" Alphonse squealed in response, bopping his brother upside the head, "I'm not gloomy! You're the one who's always down in the dumps about something!"

"Don't hit your big brother when he's on the verge of a major scientific breakthrough!"

"Whatever, Brother. I think you need sleep, you look exhausted. Want me to carry you home?" Alphonse added teasingly, earning another hit to the arm by Edward before they started packing up their materials.

"I think I'll survive. Envy's gonna be pissed that we were gone so long."

"Think he took care of Tar-Tar for me?"

"You're delusional."

They headed out the door.

* * *

Envy jumped to his feet. There was another flash of deep red that beckoned him. He hadn't mistaken it this time, it was there, and it was close! It was coming closer! He licked his lips and tensed his muscles, fingers arched like claws. His feet spread wide, ready to lock his legs back then spring them forward, take those stones in his eager hands and devour them. The saliva would run red out the corners of his mouth and he'd crunch on the gems like a lion on bones and from their marrow regain his strength.

From the farthest corner in the back of his mind, a voice piped up and got louder. The haze faded away and he slackened his muscles.

The voice was Ed's. And the red was just Ed's ridiculous, gaudy jacket. The boy's face was screwed up and staring at Envy in a look of pure confusion. Envy got the vague idea Alphonse probably would have been staring at him like that to, if he had any facial muscles to control.

"Envy, why the hell were you looking at us like that. And why were you on the floor, have you been sitting there all night?"

It took Envy another few moments to process that Edward and Alphonse were back before he scowled.

"Yes, I have, as a matter of fact."

"Why the hell would you do that?! There's a perfectly good bed right in front of you!"

"It was too red," he scoffed without any explanation before arching an eyebrow haughtily, "so how did your beloved research go, Edward?"

Edward walked rigidly past Envy and set his briefcase on the table, glancing over his shoulder with narrowed eyes at the Homunculus.

"My beloved research went fine. Sorry we were gone so long, because your time is obviously so precious."

"Where are the Stones?"

"Oh, Envy, not those again! I thought we had an agreement!"

"I just want to see them!" Envy stalked forward like a jaguar, closing in on Ed. Edward had to do everything in his power to keep from shuddering; this was the Envy he had known before the unexplained seduction, before the awful scene with Greed in the dusty old basement. This was Envy the monster, with his dark eyes and needless malice.

"They're back at the lab!"

"Liar!" the Sin exclaimed. Alphonse rushed forward.

"Envy, calm down, please! What's wrong?"

Envy swung around to glare at Alphonse, giving the armor reason to back up a few paces.

"You wouldn't understand! Humans..._humans_!!" he groaned and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door with enough strength to rattle the timbers of the room. Ed and Al heard the distinct click of the bathroom door locking.

"Oh, come on!" Edward yelled at the blank door, "what the hell makes you think that's gonna keep us out! We're alchemists, you idiot!"

"Brother, not now," Alphonse placed a hand on Ed's shoulder, a familiar action that had the power to both infuriate and comfort Edward. Right now, fortunately, it provided the latter.

"I just don't understand him, Al. I really don't," he made his way to the bed and flopped down on it, screwing up his eyes in weary confusion.

"You need to sleep, Brother. After you've rested and he's cooled down, I'm sure you can work out what's going on."

Edward turned on his side and smiled slightly, his eyes still closed as he mumbled.

"Al, you're like one of those doctors on the radio who are always giving out advice."

And with that, he fell asleep. Alphonse giggled softly and set a blanket over his brother.

* * *

It seemed like days that Envy had himself locked up in the bathroom, but logic told him it was only a few hours. He indeed had had time to cool down...the copious amounts of cold water he splashed on his face seemed to help.

He would have wondered at his earlier behavior, analyzed why he had acted that way, why he had suffered so at the hand of gemstones that simply weren't there. But he had a thing about hindsight. That is, he didn't have any.

A crackle of energy reached his ears and the bathroom lock clicked dolefully. The door eased open and Envy looked up to see Edward standing there, trying his usual best to be as imposing as his 4'11'' stature would allow.

"You can't stay in here forever, Envy. Some of us have certainly bodily functions that need to be fulfilled, and this is kinda the only acceptable place to do it."

Envy screwed up his eyes in confusion at Ed.

"Masturbation??"

"Wha-no!!! What the hell, Envy, why do you have to make everything so wrong!?"

Envy just shrugged and spread open his arms. It took a moment, but Edward relented and sat down next to him, snuggling up against his chest as Envy hugged him.

After a moment of unsure and awkward silence, Edward spoke.

"Why were you acting so weird earlier? Is it those Stones? They're really getting to you, aren't they?"

"I guess," Envy responded, burying his nose in Edward's hair and inhaling his scent. Edward closed his eyes and leaned in further.

"I didn't know it'd be that hard on you. There really is so much I don't know about you...you as a Homunculus."

"So, you've finally come to grips with what I am, hm?" Envy pulled back from Edward's head and smirked at him. Ed gave him another trademark Full Metal pout.

"It'd be hard to call you anything but a Homunculus. Besides stubborn...crazy...weird..."

"You're just jealous because I thought of Senor Worm first."

"You got me."

"That's just the way the cookie crumbles, Chibalot," Envy sighed as if he were waxing poetic.

"Especially if they're dinosaur cookies."

"That move and roar. You really dropped the ball on that one, by the way. I'm still waiting for ones that don't taste like alchemy."

"Shut up," Edward pressed his lips against Envy's. Kissing the Sin had never actually be a surefire way of keeping him quiet; in fact, Ed had been startled many a time when he kissed Envy only to have the Homunculus continue talking with mumbles into his lips as if nothing had changed. But this time Envy relented and licked at Ed's lips, his wet tongue edging past them and beyond.

They both moaned into the kiss, their tongues lashing together, Envy with his thin arms around Ed's muscular waist, and Ed with his mismatched arms wound around Envy's slender neck. They pulled apart to gaze into each others eyes, and a thin bridge of saliva hung between their lips then disappeared. They continued their fixed stares for a few more moments before crashing together in more ferocity, a kiss that was a battle.

Envy moaned and twisted while Edward pushed him against the side of the bathtub, hands seeking out and mapping the Sin's flesh. Envy responded by wrapping his legs firmly around Edward's waist, groaning in passion with each touch of pressure that Ed thrust against his hips. Ed's fingers clawed at Envy's shirt, peeling it off, and he leaned forward to nip and lick at the Sin's chest.

Envy's tongue lolled as he panted, clutching with thin fingers at Edward's hair.

"Yeeesss...Chibi..." he hissed as Edward moved his kisses and bites lower, pulling down the fabric of Envy's skirt.

"Wow, Envy," Edward murmured, his voice a warm buzz against the Sin's growing erection, "you want it a lot...don't you..?"

"Aaah...Yes, Chibi..." Envy squirmed and lifted his hips, shamelessly begging Edward to take him into his mouth. And Edward, seeing the glazed, hot need in Envy's face, the lips softly parted and moaning his name, couldn't say no. He tore off Envy's remaining clothing and enveloped the Sin deep into his mouth, his tongue rolling back and forth as Envy writhed in the throes of passion beneath him.

"Chi...chibi..." he whispered over and over again, his hands reaching for any part of Edward he could touch; gliding over the alchemist's hair and sweat dampened neck, over his shoulders and down his arms. Envy could only offer a confused mewl when Edward stopped.

Ed sat up, licking his lips, a smirk upon his reddened face.

"Envy," he whispered, leaning in to kiss the Sin's ear, "you know I gotta punish you for yelling at me earlier..."

Envy pulled off Edward's tank top, let his hands roam over his lover's powerful chest muscles.

"Yes..." he purred, "please..."

Edward grinned and guided Envy into position so that the Sin was on his knees, his backside high in the air and his chest and arms supported against the edge of the bathtub. The alchemist made quick work of his belt and pants, and positioned himself between Envy's spread legs. Envy looked back at him with an expression so lustful and loving that Ed thought he was melting. Envy's chest was pumping with sultry excitement, and Edward couldn't help but sliding the tips of his fingers down Envy's back, tracing the strange tattoos from each shoulder down to the middle, the circle of red, the target, that seemed to have started it all.

Envy shuddered beneath him and whimpered a very un-Envy whimper.

"Take me, Ed...I'm all yours..."

He found himself moaning at Envy's demand...Envy's voice had the tendency to be heavier and softer during their lovemaking, an effect that moved both Edward's heart and his blood.

A bar of soap offered the perfect device for comfort in this exchange. Edward could have felt dirty for using his alchemical prowess to make lube, but, as he coated himself and Envy with it, he realized he just didn't give a damn.

He gripped Envy's meager hipbones and plunged into him with a satisfied moan, almost unaware of Envy's cry of pain and pleasure. He thrust his hips hard against Envy, who gripped the edge of the bathtub beneath him and moved in unison with this alchemist, his lover. Edward thought vaguely that the term 'dog of the military' perhaps did apply to him, at least in this position, and couldn't help but smile as his thrusts increased.

They panted and sighed and moaned each others names, and as the speed picked up, so did the pitch of their voices. They mingled in a high crescendo as climax hit them in heavy waves and they yelled each others names in their fits of body-wracking passion.

Slowly they came down, panting and laughing breathlessly like newlyweds. Envy let go of the tub and they slumped together, curled up in each others arms, covered in bodily fluids, but more comfortable than if they had been clean and wearing their usual clothes.

Envy licked a bead of sweat from Ed's cheek and they gained their even breathing together, smiling into each others eyes and murmuring back and forth who loved who more.

Love was indeed for fools, Envy thought to himself. But it was worth it.

* * *

Envy rolled onto his back in the bathtub, gripping his feet in his palms and bringing his knees up to his chest, watching as the water rolled back and forth over his body and cleaned him of his earlier escapade with Ed. Edward looked up from his perch on the bathroom counter, an eyebrow raised.

"You're so weird. Most people don't take baths like that."

Envy dipped his head underwater and brought it back up, spitting an impressive stream of water into Ed's face.

"I'm not most people. Hey! That's my towel!" he exclaimed indignantly as Edward patted his face dry with the terrycloth towel hanging nearby.

"I think you'll manage," Edward grinned, "and you're right, you're not most people. Most people can't turn into dragons."

"Or mermaids."

"A mermaid, Envy? Really? _Really_?"

"Well," Envy mused, and the bathtub water lit up with blues and whites and slowly faded to reveal a dark green fin, scales sparkling iridescently in the light, where his legs had been. Edward should have been well versed on Envy's shapeshifting abilities by now, but he was still stunned, "a merman, I guess."

"You never cease to amaze me. What's it like to be able to do that?"

"It's..." Envy tried to think, but it seemed to be taking more effort than usual. He sought, slowly, through word after word, while the rest of his mind went hazy and black. And when the word finally reached his head, it took another few moments for it to leave his lips. The effort of simply uttering that one syllable turned his vision into white pinpricks and made his body go cold.

"Fun," he breathed, before sinking into the water in a dead faint.

* * *

**So, I finally wrote a lemon. I guess. I dunno, did that qualify? I don't like to make things too dirty, but I guess looking at _Without An Ed_, you'd never know. Well, anyway, we're slowly reaching the climax (pun _totally_ intended!) so things have the propensity to be a bit less happy as we continue.**

**Thank you everyone for reading!**


	23. Fear

**ONCE AGAIN, I AM NOT DEAD. Just jobless and dealing with depression and lots of other shit that's going on in my effed-up life. But I have left you guys waiting long enough, so here's a new chapter!**

**

* * *

**

He awoke with a jolt, his vision weak and blurry and water dripping into his eyes and stinging them. He saw Edward's worried face hovering above him, saw past him the dark green fin where his legs should be.

"Where're my legs?" he muttered to himself and closed his eyes again before Edward shook his shoulder frantically.

"Envy, don't black out again! C'mon, stay awake...you can do it..."

Envy looked up into Edward's amber eyes, his own screwed up in confusion.

"Where're my legs? What's this..."

"You turned yourself into a mermaid," Edward answered slowly, his eyes darting toward the fin then back to Envy, "and blacked out."

"...mer_man_..."

"Is now really the time?"

"Mm," the Homunculus hummed softly and, with concentrated effort, split the fin in two and shifted until his legs were back to normal. Edward watched silently, and Envy looked up at him.

They gazed at each other in long moments, before Edward hooked an arm around Envy and helped him out of the bathtub; he hauled the Sin dripping wet onto the floor and held him.

"Thanks, Chibaloo."

"You have got to stop with the nicknames, Envy."

"Shut up, you love them."

"I love _you_," Edward corrected. The suddenness of his own comment surprised him, but he saw the blush on Envy's cheeks and the pleased look in his eyes and didn't regret it, "but not the stupid nicknames. Can you stand?"

Envy clambered onto his feet, wobbled for a moment, then regained his balance and snatched up a towel to cover himself.

"Envy...what happened? Does it hurt to transform?" Edward stepped forward and took hold of Envy's long locks, wringing the water out gently before stroking the dark green strands back. Envy regarded him, stone-faced, for a moment before sighing.

"Once, a few hundred years ago, I found a lake. A big lake. It was nice and I was young and had less important things to do and so I jumped in and transformed into this monster; this sea serpent kind of thing, like a giant eel. I like shifting into things no one has seen before..." he trailed off and Edward stared at him, confused, before he continued, "so I swam through the lake in that form. There were lots of tunnels and things in the rock bottom of the lake. I swam through those...I guess, maybe thinking I'd find something. Or maybe I did it just for fun, it's hard to remember what you were thinking when so many years have passed...I swam deeper through the tunnels, and the passages got smaller and smaller...I got stuck and I squirmed and struggled and panicked and everything was closing in around me and I thought I'd be in the darkness forever."

Envy paused and gazed up at the ceiling; Edward had never seen him so thoughtful before.

"That's what it feels like to transform lately," Envy finished, looking back at Edward.

"How did you get out? You turned into a smaller fish?"

"No," Envy snorted, " I turned into a bigger fish. Cracked right through the rocks and erupted out of the lake."

Edward rolled his eyes.

"Of course. Seems like more your style anyway. Envy..." he took Envy's hands in his, smoothing the pads of his thumbs over Envy's silky skin, "you understand, right? Why I...why I don't want you near those stones?"

Envy nodded.

"You don't want me to change. Or stop loving you or something weird like that. I don't know, I might not have been paying attention."

It was a lie, but Envy liked to remain aloof and uninterested whenever he could. It was something of a defense mechanism, and, he admitted to himself, it was a great way to get under people's skin.

"Yes, that's the main reason," Edward sighed, "and we _need _them, Envy. Al needs them. I just can't stand to think about how much longer he might have to stay in that body without them. He's not doing well, Envy, he's depressed."

"Your brother has always been a little on the morose side," Envy sniffed carelessly, pulling away from Edward and beginning to shove his clothing back on.

"Wouldn't you be, too?"

"I dunno. I've never been a suit of armor before," he shrugged on a baggy shirt Ed had brought him and pulled the hem down to rest around his waist.

"Just try to see it from his perspective, okay? It should be easy for you, I mean, you out of anyone should know what it's like to walk a mile in another person's shoes."

"Ew," Envy crinkled his nose, "I hate shoes, they make my feet hot."

As if that effectively ended the conversation, Envy turned the doorknob and strode out. Edward rolled his eyes and followed close behind him, eager not to let the Sin get the last word. It just wasn't in his nature, and this was a subject he was particularly adamant about.

"You know what I mean."

"Why are you following me?"

"There's nowhere else to go. It's a small apartment."

"Then you should be right at home."

"Augh!" Edward screwed up his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose before he remembered that was a very Mustang-like gesture, and immediately dropped his hand, "it's no use trying to have a serious conversation with you. It's just no use. You just want to dance around the issue and insult people or talk about Senor Worm or how your feet get hot."

"But my feet _do_ get hot," Envy insisted, "And Senor Worm is fabulous. You're just jealous you didn't think of him first."

"You're skirting around the main issue. Again. These Stones, they're making you crazy. Crazier."

"I suppose I just don't understand," Envy stopped and turned on heel, looking Edward in the eyes, "why you need all of them. I'd fare well with just one or two. Something to give me a little juice so I can transform more easily."

"So you can turn into a snake and frighten librarians?"

"It was for the best, your brother was putting the moves on her. I had to stop it. He's too young for that sort of thing. Also, he's a suit of armor."

Edward closed his eyes tightly and ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't sure what "the moves" were, or why Al might have been putting them on some girl, but he was sure that Envy was becoming more and more ridiculous by the minute. He thought, vaguely, that maybe it was Envy's strategy. Be as annoying as you can be until you get what you want.

And suddenly, Edward realized, he himself had used that tactic many a time before.

"The Stones..." Edward began, choosing his words carefully. Envy watched, violet eyes shrewd, "don't fare well under our experiments. And we have a lot of experiments to run. They usually don't survive after the first round of tests, so we need as many as we can get. The more we have, the more information."

Envy simply looked at him, decidedly unimpressed. Edward continued, trying to drive his point home.

"Each test gives up a huge yield of information, Envy. Information that's needed to go on to the next test, which then gives up an exponentially greater yield. And so on and so forth. With enough testing, enough information from these Stones, we could go on to create the real thing. The real Philosopher's Stone. We're close, Envy, we're so close."

"There's so much you don't know, Chibi," Envy said softly, and Edward saw with a shock that his eyes were sad, "so much."

"I know that," he admitted. He glanced down and took a lock of Envy's hair between his thumb and forefinger, holding it as if it were a rare feather, "that's why these tests are necessary."

"Did you ever stop to think where those Stones came from, O'Chibi?" Envy's voice had become much more quiet than Edward had ever heard before; a break from the wild rasp his voice usually held. It was now calm, introspective, almost as if he had shifted his vocal chords and changed his voice entirely.

"Of course. All the time. If I knew where they came from, I could make some, couldn't I?"

"I guess so. But I wonder if you would."

Edward started at Envy, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"That's what me and Al've been after for all these years. Of course we would do it. Why wouldn't we? Unless there's something you're not telling me..."

They stood in silence, gazing intensely at one another. Edward could tell Envy was tired, perhaps even sad, and felt a pang of regret for him. But Envy was being selfish, wasn't he? The Stones let Envy transform, but he didn't _need _that power to live...Alphonse needed the Stones so much more, needed to become human again. He deserved it. Alphonse was sweet and thoughtful and a thousand more good things, a pure soul living in through pure hell. He deserved it so much more.

Envy, as if sensing Edward's thoughts, stared at him sadly.

"Some things you don't need to know."

* * *

As if to mock Envy and Edward's somber moods, the sun shone steadily the following few days. Edward and Alphonse took constant trips to the laboratory, the bright sunshine beating onto their backs. Birds perched on the street lamps adorning the road, chirping happily and watching with their beetle black eyes. The past week had been glorious, and Edward had hated it.

He knew he'd hate today even more as he saw Roy Mustang walking briskly toward him.

"Oh no...quick, Al, let's hide in that building!" Edward hissed, desperately tugging at his brother's large arm.

"But Brother, that's a gentleman's club!" Alphonse gasped in abject horror.

"You're right," Edward gritted his teeth, "we wouldn't be safe in there. That pervert's probably going in there anyway..."

"Edward, Alphonse," Roy approached and greeted them quickly. Ed noted that the man seemed preoccupied; he was dressed in civilian clothing, but seemed stiff and agitated. More than usual, anyway, "let's take a walk, shall we?"

"You mean you weren't heading to the whorehouse?" Edward raised an eyebrow as the three of them began walking down the street together.

"No, not today."

"That was kind of a joke. Though it doesn't surprise me that you'd go to one."

"My reasons for visiting 'the whorehouse' are far different than what you may assume, Edward," Roy sighed wearily.

"Um, Colonel?" Alphonse asked, "may I ask where we're going? We just walked past the laboratory complex..."

"I know. I want to speak to you as far away from the headquarters as I can get."

"Well that can't be good. What've we done now?"

Roy didn't answer Edward's question; he simply continued walking, his dark eyes trained on the horizon. Edward huffed, and followed. They walked in silence for an awkward ten or fifteen minutes, and only when the buildings and crowds began to peter out did Roy begin the conversation again.

"I wanted to talk to you about your friend. Evan."

Edward almost missed a step and tripped, but managed to correct himself in time to glare defensively up at Roy.

"Y-yeah? What about him?"

"Have you two gotten close? You seem to be quite fond of each other, if all the PDA you've been involved in is to be believed..."

"They love each other," Alphonse piped up quite cheerfully, eliciting a reproving look from Edward. Roy arched his eyebrows in surprised and gazed down at Edward.

"Oh my. Is this so, Edward?"

"So what if it is?"

Roy was silent for a few moments. He nodded toward a few tables sitting outside an old cafe, beckoning them to sit. Once they had, he reached inside his jacket to pull out an old book.

"I want you to see something. Both of you. And I'd like your opinion."

He flipped the book to a certain page, where a photograph and small piece of torn paper acted as bookmarks. Edward's eyes scanned the documents, and his blood ran cold.

A photo of Envy as a dragon. An illustration of the very same creature, decades, maybe even centuries old. And scribbled on the sheet of paper, a drawing of the Ouroboros, and the word "Homunculus", in large black letters.

Edward swallowed, staring.

"Does all this mean anything to you, Edward?" Roy asked, leaning forward and resting his chin on his interlaced fingers, "or you, Alphonse? I am not trying to goad you, I'm very serious. This is very important. You are both aware what a Homunculus is, are you not?"

Alphonse turned to look at Edward, who slowly brought his eyes up to meet Roy's.

"...so...you think that dragon was a Homunculus?"

"There's a bit more to it than that, Edward," Roy admitted. He fished through his pocket for one last piece of evidence; a folded scrap of notebook paper. He pushed it toward Edward.

The boy was exceedingly hesitant. His fingers felt thick and heavy as he slowly unfolded the blue-lined paper, his heart thumping so loudly in his chest he was sure Roy could hear it.

_'No no no no...' _he thought desperately as he finished opening it. But there it was.

The drawing he had made in the hospital, what seemed like ages ago, of Envy. Right after the first time he had met the Sin. And scrawled above it, the telltale Ouroboros symbol.

"You drew this yourself, didn't you, Edward? I happened over that a while ago," Roy said softly, almost sadly, "when I went over some of Hughes' old files. Trying to solve some mysteries. This was in there. I'd go over those files almost every night, Edward. No wonder your boyfriend looked so familiar to me. Him and his intriguing tattoo."

"Mustang," Edward folded the paper back up, and looked at the man desperately, "you can't tell anyone."

"So it's true?" Roy asked, but didn't seem surprised, "Evan Poynton is a Homunculus. So I imagine the whole story about rescuing him in Demorest is a lie. And I'd wager his name isn't Evan Poynton, is it?"

"That wasn't a lie," Alphonse leaned forward, to make sure his soft voice was heard, "we _did_ save him in Demorest. He was very hurt, Colonel. He could have died."

"Homunculi can't die. At least not according to the legend, which I now have to assume isn't a legend at all, but the truth," Roy answered.

"They can," Edward grumbled, "under the right circumstances."

"It seems you boys have uncovered quite a find," he stared at them, unblinking. Edward couldn't shake the feeling that Mustang was less than impressed with them despite their discovery.

"His name is Envy. You've obviously already guessed it, but he's a shape shifter. That's...yeah. He was the dragon."

"You mean the one that got away on its own?"

"Okay, yes! I let him go!" Edward growled and shoved his chair away from the table angrily, "what else was I supposed to do? He's my...my..."

"Homunculus," Roy said.

"Boyfriend!" Alphonse offered. Edward groaned and buried his face in his hands. He didn't like either of those labels for Envy.

"He's important to me."

"Edward, don't you suspect that the Fuhrer knows? After all, he had an unnatural interest in that 'dragon' when it appeared."

"I don't know," Edward sighed, "I hope not. Mustang, _please_. I'm begging you. You can't tell anyone about this. He'd be captured and experimented on, and he's already been through so much...not to mention I'd lose my State Alchemist title! And we're so close to getting Al's body back..."

"Yet another thing you failed to mention to me," Roy leaned back in his chair, a stern expression on his face, "You were supposed to be documenting your progression toward the Philosopher's Stone. Instead, you've been keeping it a secret. And all the while, I've been keeping _your _secret, at my own loss. And now you want me to keep another one? Something as monumental as finding a Homunculus?"

"I know it's not fair to you, Mustang, but...just, please..." Edward stared at the man sitting before him in his black jacket and dark hair and stern onyx eyes. The man who made people dance like puppets on his strings. The man who he was secretly afraid of, the man who could ruin their lives with just a few uttered words.

Edward knew that at Mustang's whim, both Alphonse and Envy could be taken from him, tortured, destroyed.

He had never been so terrified of the Colonel as he was now.

* * *

**I'll try to update soon. I appreciate you guys sticking with me, and hope you're all doing well and feeling the love. Reviews are muy appreciated, since it's been so long since I've heard from you guys (which is totally my fault because I'm a loser).**

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